Taboo and Continuous Transformation – Chaeyeon Kang’s Winning Project

The project 28 Days stems from the cyclical nature of the female body and the shifting processes that constantly occur within it, yet rarely become part of its public image. The starting point of the work is the artist's personal experience with recurring yeast infections, a common yet culturally silenced condition often associated with feelings of shame. Rather than attempting to hide these manifestations, the artist understands them as part of the body's complex biological system, which constantly balances hormonal shifts and external environmental pressures.

In the first phase, the artist creates digital images of idealized female bodies. These images are subsequently disrupted by an experimental biomaterial made from gelatin, starch, and naturally occurring molds. The materials were allowed to grow, dry, and decay on their own. These changes expose the dynamic biological processes that are typically hidden inside our bodies.
The resulting photographs capture the moments where these two planes meet: the digital image and organic matter, which is constantly changing and eluding any definitive form. At first glance, the glossy image appears perfect and self-contained; however, its content refers to decay and organic transformation.

The works, presented as vertical strips 140 centimeters long, reference the duration of the menstrual cycle. Moving from left to right, the viewer follows subtle shifts in color, structure, and image density that evoke changes in physical energy, sensitivity, or bodily states throughout the cycle.

The installation in the window of the Fotograf Zone Gallery elevates the work to another level. The storefront is a threshold between public and private space. Here, intimate bodily processes become part of the public sphere, while the reflections of passers-by on the glossy surface of the images remind viewers that they themselves share a similar biological vulnerability and fluidity.
The 28 Days project thus raises broader questions about how bodies are depicted and the norms these images create. In the artist’s work, the body emerges as a living system that is open, vulnerable, and constantly changing.

Info

Artists | Chaeyeon Kang
Curator | Světlana Malina 
Duration | 27 March – 12 April 2026
Opening | 26 March 2026, 6 PM
Venue | Fotograf Zone Gallery
Opening hours | The installation is accessible from the street throughout the day