Have you heard of the job of a media artist? Media artists transform their world, using media like TV and they show it to an audience. Being a media artist is not a popular in our country, so many people don't know much about it. In this month's issue, we meet a media artist Siyeong Jin and we talk with him about his work.

 Q1. Even though you majored in painting in college, what made you go abroad to study media art?

 The world changes fast, but paintings take one or two months to complete. Sometimes I began to think ‘Is this good?’ Different forms of art I saw at the Gwangju Biennial made me curious about them. It was very fresh and surprising to me, so I wanted to study other art styles at that time. I didn't know where I could learn them in this country, so I had to go abroad. Then, I came to learn a lot more about various forms of art.

 Q2. What was difficult in understanding media art?

 Mass media is familiar to us, but I think it is difficult to express yourself using mass media as an art form. Media art is in a transitional period, so we are having a difficult time. In this regard, media art needs to become more familiar to people. I think people will know more about it as an art and accept it soon.

 Q3. I am curious about your thinking regarding media art. As a media artist, what do you think about media art?

 I think it has no shape, so media art can be anything. It could be instilled in any field- I think media art is dynamic.

 Q4. What is the meaning of light in media art?

 I would say light in media art is essential. Light is indispensable in media art. Usually, the light needs artificial sources. This leads people to believe that media art is cold and arid. So I try to find it in nature and people.

 Q5. What do you think is the charm of media art?

 My personality and media art are well suited to each other. Like I said, I think media art’s biggest attraction is that it is freely penetrating everywhere, all without a certain shape.

 Q6. When were you proud of yourself as a media artist?

 When my work is exhibited in a building or in a public place, I cannot see people's immediate reactions. I was proud of myself when I had an opportunity to see them. And I felt ecstatic when large audiences watched my performances. I liked tremor that I felt in performing my art.

 Q7. Why do you think that ‘convergence/integration’ is important?

 These days, the world is more diversified and diversity is the mainstream. I think art delivers social messages. I think it's not enough for one image to delivers messages- so I think convergence/integration is important.

 Q8. What do you think are the most important values when you make work? And what is the most important thing of all?

 I think the job of an artist is to visually show ordinary people things that are missing or hidden. The success of the artist depends on the spectators. People can see different things in an artist’s work and their realization depends on someone else’s presence or absence. We fail and try again until we succeed in recovering humanity. I think the most important thing is human emotions.

 Q9. What do you feel after an exhibition?

 I think that two emotions coexist. I feel prostration, satisfaction, and joy. Thoughts about reality, great joy, and satisfaction are the driving force to passionately create art. They are the power that can sustain my art.

 Q10. Did you have any ideas for multiple art? Also, at this performance what do you like the most?

 I had no intentions at first. I came up with the ideas suddenly. I wanted to show things in Korean style. Then, I made the clothes separately and employed dancing students who expressed the line beautifully. During that time I contacted a ballerina and I received a proposal from that ballerina. What I wanted to do was to show an art performance in a plural society where we live.

 Part of my performance appears directly on the screen as light in harmony with ballerinas’ movements in parts. That is the best part. Direct movements of the dancers, namely, analog and on-screen actions, became digital movements.

 Q11. Tell us your future plans and what you would like to say as a media artist. Finally, is there anything you want to tell students?

 I will focus on the program ‘Try to Find’ for a while. The ‘Try to Find’ project is about a city trying to play through media art. The art naturally intervenes in social works on practical issues. I think it's natural for people to be interesting in media art, but people need to find the right art center. We do not depend on technologies. We must pursue mental ability.

 I felt sorry to see students these days. Lastly, I told students they need various experiences. I asked them to try what they want to do. Then can live happily ever after. I'd like to I know that their real lives are filled with difficulties like getting a job after graduation. But I still urge them to think radically about their futures.