This is Yedam Ann's website
This is Yedam Ann's website

This is Yedam Ann's website

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Mass produced Childhood

"Mass Produced Childhood" is a reflective art project set against the socio-economic and cultural landscape of 1990s South Korea. This period witnessed the IMF crisis and the influx of Japanese culture, which significantly influenced Korean youth. By merging personal memories with historical events, the work explores the layered relationships between Korea and Japan, touching on colonial history and South Korea's emotional scenery interlocked with Japanese children's media. Through archives, objects, texts, and videos, themes like fetishism, whiteness, and post-Fordism are presented from an intimate perspective.

 

The inspiration for this project began with a 2003 home video showing my family on a Han River cruise, a rare moment of joy despite post-IMF poverty. Scenes of childhood include our small public housing apartment and an unwelcoming playground, contrasting with the lavish block nearby.

 

To overcome the IMF management regime, South Korea pursued neoliberal policies, including privatizing the public sector and opening up its capital markets. Following the IMF bailout, the lifting of restrictions on Japanese imports enabled the spread of Japanese toys and media, bringing cherished items like Power Rangers and Pokémon to Korea—although often edited to fit local sensibilities. Simultaneously, "Pretty Young Girl" cartoons like Wedding Peach and Sailor Moon captured young girls' imaginations with beautiful and assertive heroines.

 

Today, as Y2K nostalgia resurfaces, those toys from my childhood, once reminders of poverty, are now artefacts selling for high prices. The project captures this blend of history and memory, linking a past with modern culture.

Mass produced Childhood

"Mass Produced Childhood" is a reflective art project set against the socio-economic and cultural landscape of 1990s South Korea. This period witnessed the IMF crisis and the influx of Japanese culture, which significantly influenced Korean youth. By merging personal memories with historical events, the work explores the layered relationships between Korea and Japan, touching on colonial history and South Korea's emotional scenery interlocked with Japanese children's media. Through archives, objects, texts, and videos, themes like fetishism, whiteness, and post-Fordism are presented from an intimate perspective. The inspiration for this project began with a 2003 home video showing my family on a Han River cruise, a rare moment of joy despite post-IMF poverty. Scenes of childhood include our small public housing apartment and an unwelcoming playground, contrasting with the lavish block nearby. To overcome the IMF management regime, South Korea pursued neoliberal policies, including privatizing the public sector and opening up its capital markets. Following the IMF bailout, the lifting of restrictions on Japanese imports enabled the spread of Japanese toys and media, bringing cherished items like Power Rangers and Pokémon to Korea—although often edited to fit local sensibilities. Simultaneously, "Pretty Young Girl" cartoons like Wedding Peach and Sailor Moon captured young girls' imaginations with beautiful and assertive heroines. Today, as Y2K nostalgia resurfaces, those toys from my childhood, once reminders of poverty, are now artefacts selling for high prices. The project captures this blend of history and memory, linking a past with modern culture.