SALZBURG.- For her second exhibition at Elektrohalle Rhomberg, Arang Choi once again invites visitors to immerse themselves in her world. ‘Behind Open Eyes’ features beings and hints of beings: eyes that sparkle from stormy clouds, behind whose pupils infinite universes open up, and the figure of Emulb. If you turn Emulb upside down, it reads 'Blume' ('flower'). Emulb is a constant presence in Choi's work. This strangely disembodied creature appears repeatedly throughout her body of work.

The figure is fleeting and seems to be hiding, as if it does not want to be seen. Despite being amorphous, emotions are attributed to it. The way it moves trustingly through the worlds created by Choi and navigates its way around makes it appear inquisitive and possessed of a spirit of discovery. Choi's most recent work is a triptych entitled Spectrum I-III (2025). Across three interconnected panels, Choi depicts Emulb in various guises. Sometimes it is a jellyfish-like creature; at other times, it is a small animal on whose lap another small creature can rest for a moment. By choosing the triptych format, which refers to the Holy Trinity, Choi reveals a religious component, though she does not elaborate on it.

Emulb finds itself on three panels in a grey world, where it barely stands out. Through white-grey branches, it gazes with interest at the veiled landscape. This is reminiscent of grisaille painting, which was particularly used for medieval panel paintings. It is only through the shadows that the vibrancy of this monochrome painting technique emerges. Movement occurs in the interplay of light and dark. Emulb can also be found somewhere in between. The shadows are so deep that they harbour the possibility of ever more worlds within them. This is what makes Choi's painting so fascinating: it opens up new lines of sight, even to things that may not exist, but perhaps could. She highlights the fantastic elements of the world and of painting, turning them on their heads; she takes surrealism one step further, repeatedly referencing great artists such as Max Ernst and Leonora Carrington. The following quote comes from the latter:

“You may not believe in magic but something very strange is happening at this very moment. Your head has dissolved into thin air and I can see the rhododendrons through your stomach.” (Leonora Carrington, The hearing Trumpet, 1974).

It clearly demonstrates that anything is possible in painting. It shows that one can find ways of expressing processes and things where language reaches its limits. Choi did not create Emulb as a static entity. It is always changing; constantly transforming and becoming something else, or even disappearing completely. In this large-format painting, the creature Emulb is only the secondary protagonist. Firstly, it is a thought, an idea, a fleeting state that can, may and must change. 'Crystaltree' (2024, oil on canvas, 170 x 300 cm) is one of Choi's most pivotal pieces. Here, Emulb emerges from behind a mass that could be an amorphous tree or a huge cell in which something has nested. Something emerges from within: an eye emerges, and something resembling diamonds flashes out. In front of this, two beings peacefully intertwine their bodies. Although less busy, the composition and figuration are reminiscent of Hieronymus Bosch. This symbolism seems too religiously charged without committing itself to an existing religion.

Through her painting, Choi finds an expression for the ciphers and myths of an uncertain present and an even more uncertain future. - Laura Helena Wurth

Laura Helena Wurth, born in Berlin, is an author and critic. She regularly writes about contemporary art and architecture for the FAZ, FAS and KUNSTFORUM International. She also works for Deutschlandfunk Kultur. She is co-founder of the project space FKA SIX, which dealt with the topic of contemporary ruins in a shopping center in 2022, and together with Louisa Hölker she publishes the monothematic art magazine One to(o) Many, which unites many different voices into a single work of art.