Archaeology of Memory
Immigration is a religious, psychological experience that not just anyone can do.
Archeology of Memory explains my family’s immigration story, focusing on the geography of that intensely emotional trial.
100 years ago, my ancestors grew up in Yeonan, now part of North Korea. Our great-grandfather converted to Christianity under the tutelage of the great missionary Underwood and established one of the very first churches in Seoul. There, my parents were born and married and eventually ended up in Arizona for graduate school. Now living in New Jersey, we traveled to the deserts of Arizona in 2022 to see firsthand the geographical footprint of my family’s immigration.
Arizona’s landscape attracted me with its emotional resonance. I photographed everything that held the imprint of my family’s memory, from the university campus where they studied to the canyon they visited while sightseeing. Like an archaeologist, I wanted to excavate their memories and capture them for future generations to behold. Through this project, I aim to connect my family’s immigration experience to the land itself.
It was like a time machine and met a younger me from 25 years ago.
Peace
Trace
It was like the ground trees saying that they missed me, welcome back.
It was a sweet dream that I did not want to wake up from.
