Untitled (tombstones)

Eun-Kyung Choi, 1999

"The tombstone is the object which represents everything in the world that cannot be eternal, not just the immortality, or the death of human beings.

Human beings believe in eternity. However nothing in this life is eternal, including happiness, sadness and life itself. Eternity is merely continuity of every moment.Ultimately we must accept that.

It is necessary to focus on the value of life. Otherwise inhumanity exists in this world created by an endless desire to achieve power and wealth.

Watching the birds in the sky with freedom for eternity, human beigns wish to achieve freedom of soul. But birds also have to fold their wings someday. There is no eternity. The folded wings are a metaphor for the realization that eternity cannot exist.

These tombstones with the inscription "The Memory for the Folded Wings" are installed on the circle which means Earth in eastern philosophy. The surrounding square is a symbol for Heaven. Because human beings came from the earth, and will return to the same place.

The tombstones are made only of Earth (clay), water and fire."