김대희
Dey Kim
Daehee Kim
STATEMENT
과학자이던 예전에 실험실에서 겪은 일이다. 다음 날 중요한 실험을 앞두고 미생물을 배양할 때면, 접종된 배지 용기에 종종 하트 모양을 그려 넣거나, 밤에 퇴근 전에 인큐베이터를 열고 “잘 부탁해, 좋은 밤 보내렴”이라고 인사를 건네곤 했다. 그러면 신기하게도 다음 날 오전 실험실에 출근했을 때, 아이들이 평소보다 건강하게 자라 있는 것을 확인하곤 했다. 이 경험을 몇몇 동료들과 나누었을 때, 이것이 비단 나만의 경험이 아니라는 것을 알게 되었다. 각자의 방법으로 마음을 전하면, 미생물은 화답했다. 그때부터였는지 모른다. 우리가 그들과도 소통할 수 있을지 모른다고 생각하기 시작한 것이. 이 깨달음은 나와 이 작은 생명체 사이의 경계를 초월하는 깊은 연결감을 불러일으켰다.
이 깊은 연결감은 자연을 우리 밖의 대상으로 분리하여 바라보던 오랜 관성에 의문을 품게 했다. 우리는 흔히 자연과 인간을 분리된 영역으로 여기며, 자연적인 것과 인공적인 것을 대립하는 개념으로 받아들인다. 이는 자연의 불확실성으로부터 격리되기 위해 통제 가능한 (하지만 그것이 최적인지는 의문스러운) 인공 시스템을 구축해 온 인류의 오랜 집착에서 비롯된 것일지 모른다. 우리는 집 안의 화분을 보며 자연이 가까이 있어 좋다고 말하지만, 정작 우리 자신이 자연의 일부라는 사실은 자주 잊는다. 사실 화분을 바라볼 필요도 없이, 이미 우리 몸을 서식지 삼아 살아가는 수많은 미생물의 존재는 우리가 자연과 결코 분리될 수 없다는 사실을 조용히 일깨워준다. 우리 내부와 외부를 끊임없이 오가는 미생물은 인간과 자연 사이의 경계를 허물고, 우리를 인간-미생물-환경이라는 거대한 생명 시스템 속으로 엮어낸다.
신체와 이미지-몸의 결합이 결국 나와 또 다른 나의 혼종화에 머무르는 디지털 매체 환경에서, 미생물과의 생물학적 혼종성을 알아차리는 일은 비인간 존재와의 공생 감각을 회복하기 위해 무엇보다 중요하다. 이를 위해 미생물을 감각하는 훈련으로 지각의 범위를 넓히고, 기술을 매개로 확장된 감각 안에서 ‘생태적 그물망으로서의 나’를 마주하고자 한다. 이는 곧 주체의 주도권이 타자들에게도 있음을 기꺼이 인정하는 것이다. 이로써 인간 중심적 사고의 틀을 벗어나, 우리라는 생태계 안에 깃든 내밀한 목소리를 경청하고자 한다. 그들이 발산하는 신호와 공명하는 나의 작업은, 결국 주체와 객체의 위계를 허물고 여러 행위자가 유기적으로 얽힌 촘촘한 그물망을 그려내는 실천이다.
This happened when I was a scientist in the lab. When culturing microorganisms before an important experiment the next day, I would often draw a heart on the plate containing the inoculated medium, or open the incubator before leaving at night and say, “Please take care, have a good night.” The next morning, upon arriving at the lab, I would surprisingly find the microbes growing somehow healthier than usual. Sharing this experience with a few colleagues, I learned that this wasn’t an experience exclusive to me. When we sent our care in our own ways, the microorganisms reciprocated. Perhaps that was when it began—the moment I started thinking that we might be able to communicate with them too. This realization sparked a deep sense of connection that transcended the boundary between myself and these small life forms.
This deep connection made me question the long-standing tendency to view nature as an object outside of ourselves. We often treat nature and humans as separate realms, accepting the natural and the artificial as opposing concepts. This may stem from humanity’s long-standing obsession with building controllable—yet questionably optimal—artificial systems to isolate ourselves from the uncertainties of nature. We look at a houseplant and say it is nice to have nature close by, but we frequently forget that we ourselves are part of nature. In fact, we don’t even need to look at a flowerpot; the existence of countless microbes already using our bodies as their habitat silently reminds us that we can never be separated from nature. Microbes, constantly moving between our inside and outside, dissolve the boundary between humans and nature, weaving us into a vast living system of human-microbe-environment.
In a digital media environment where the union of the physical body and the image-body ultimately remains within a hybridization of oneself with another self, becoming aware of our biological hybridity with microbes is paramount to restoring a genuine sense of symbiosis with non-human entities. To this end, I seek to expand the scope of my perception through training to sense microbes, aiming to confront the ‘ecological web-self’ within a sensory realm expanded through technology. This is to willingly acknowledge that the agency of the subject also lies with others. In doing so, I desire to break free from the framework of anthropocentric thinking and listen closely to the intimate voices dwelling within the ecosystem that is ‘us.’ Resonating with the signals they emit, my work is an artistic practice that ultimately dismantles the hierarchy between subject and object, mapping an intricate web where multiple actors are organically intertwined.
BIO
김대희는 환경공학 박사학위를 취득하고 미생물연료전지 및 바이오 연료 분야의 연구를 지속하는 과정에서, 기술적 접근만으로는 포착하기 어려운 환경과 생명 시스템의 복합성과 감각적 차원에 주목하게 되었다.
이러한 사유를 바탕으로 사운드·바이오 아티스트 김대희는 미생물을 주체적 경계를 흐리게 만드는 존재로 정의하며, 인간-미생물-환경을 하나의 통합된 생명체로 인식한다. 그는 이 생태적 신체 안팍을 가로지르는 신호의 상호작용을 음악적 경험—가청의 소리를 넘어 관계성과 공명하는 과정—으로 재매개함으로써, 우리를 둘러싼 연결성을 깨우며 공생 감각을 회복한다. 국립아시아문화전당(ACC), 인천아트플랫폼, 제로원, 파라다이스아트랩 등에서 퍼포먼스, 전시, 워크숍을 통해 관객과 만나왔으며, 콜렉티브 모듈라서울과 즉흥음악 트리오 삼킴의 일원으로도 활동하고 있다.
Dey Kim holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Science & Engineering, having developed his scientific expertise through research in microbial fuel cells and biofuels. Over the course of his research, he became attentive to the sensory dimensions and complexities of ecological and living systems—aspects that elude purely technological approaches.
Based on this line of thought, sound and bio artist Dey Kim defines microbes as entities that blur subjective boundaries, perceiving the human-microbe-environment as a single, integrated living system. By remediating the interaction of signals traversing the inside and outside of this ecological body into a musical experience—a process of resonating with relationality beyond audible sound—he awakens the connectivity that surrounds us and restores a sense of symbiosis. He has engaged with audiences through performances, exhibitions, and workshops at prominent institutions including the National Asian Culture Center (ACC), Incheon Art Platform, Paradise Art Lab, and ZER01NE. He is also active as a member of the artist collective Modular Seoul and the free music trio saaamkiiim.
CV
Full CV (pdf) available for download here
Performances
2026 Uijeongbu Arts Center, UIjeongbu, KR
2026 Vira, Seoul, KR
2026 Arko Artist House, Seoul, KR
2026 Mudaeruk, Seoul, KR
2025 Arko & Daehakro Arts Theater, Seoul, KR
2025 Film Forum, Seoul, KR
2025 KOTE, Seoul, KR
2025 COEX Magok, Seoul, KR
2025 Samadi Lounge, Seoul, KR
2025 Seoul Arts Center, Seoul, KR
2024 Pie Factory Studio, Seoul, KR
2024 Moss, Seoul, KR
2024 Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, Seoul, KR
2024 Salt, Seoul, KR
2024 Kim Hee Soo Art Center, Seoul, KR
2024 Meogom Winery, Seoul, KR
2024 Meogom Winery, Seoul, KR
2024 Dotolim, Seoul, KR
2024 Meogom Winery, Seoul, KR
2023 Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, Seoul, KR
2023 Asia Culture Center, Gwangju, KR
2023 Namdong Sorae Arts Hall, Incheon, KR
2023 Hwigyumjae, Seoul, KR
2023 National Theater of Korea, Seoul, KR
2022 Anyang Arts Center, Anyang, KR
2022 Incheon Art Platform, Incheon, KR
2022 Oil Tank Culture Park, Seoul, KR
2022 S-Factory, Seoul, KR
2022 Banjul, Seoul, KR
2022 Minor Swing, Yongin, KR
2022 Samil-ro Changgo Theater, Seoul, KR
2022 Dotolim, Seoul, KR
2021 Boomiz, Seoul, KR
2021 PaAp Lab, Seoul, KR
2021 Post Theatre, Seoul, KR
2021 The Stump, Seoul, KR
2021 Exit Points #16, Toronto, CA
2021 Garamsinjak, Cheongju, KR
2021 Momuro Salon, Seoul, KR
2020 Art Bunker B39, Bucheon, KR
2020 Hongti Art Center, Busan, KR
2020 Jeonju International Sori Festival, Jeonju, KR
2020 3F House, Ulsan, KR
2020 LiebeLiebe, Ulsan, KR
2020 In The House, Seoul, KR
2020 Art Bunker B39, Bucheon, KR
2020 In The House, Seoul, KR
2020 Art Bunker B39, Bucheon, KR
2019 Suchang Mansion of Youth, Daegu, KR
2019 Strange Fruit, Seoul, KR
2019 Emu Art Space, Seoul, KR
2019 Bupyeong Arts Center, Bupyeong, KR
2019 Yeongildae Beach, Pohang, KR
2019 Art Space Boan, Seoul, KR
2019 Art Space IAa, Jeju, KR
2019 3F House, Ulsan, KR
2019 Alpensia Ski Resort, Pyeongchang, KR
2019 BallWorkBeer, Seoul, KR
2019 Alley Sound, Seoul, KR
2019 Ghetto Alive, Seoul, KR
2019 Incheon Art Platform, Incheon, KR
2019 3F House, Ulsan, KR
2019 UNIST, Ulsan, KR
2018 Dotolim, Seoul, KR
2018 Ringo Shop, Seoul, KR
2018 Seoul Art Space Seogyo, Seoul, KR
2018 Oil Tank Culture Park, Seoul, KR
2018 Seogwipo Cultural Battery Station, Seogwipo, KR
2018 Mudaeruk, Seoul, KR
2018 VOFOL, Seoul, KR
2018 YOGIGA pal.gallery, Seoul, KR
2018 Seogwipo Cultural Battery Station, Seogwipo, KR
2018 Dotolim, Seoul, KR
2018 WORM, Rotterdam, NL
2017 SCALe, Seoul, KR
2017 Alley Sound, Seoul, KR
2017 Royal Academy of Art, The Hague, NL
2016 Royal Conservatoire, The Hague, NL
Group Exhibitions
2023 ZER01NE DAY, S-Factory, Seoul, KR
2022 Wake the Sense, Gagi Gallery, Ulsan, KR
2022 ZER01NE DAY, S-Factory, Seoul, KR
2022 Purple Marble, Royal X, Hwaseong, KR
2019 Island Project SOME, Art Space IAa, Jeju, KR
2019 Infinity fSM II, Incheon Art Platform, Incheon, KR
2018 Infinity fSM, UNIST, Ulsan, KR
2017 Pidgin, Yogiga Gallery, Seoul, KR
2013 Nature+Media Annuale, Arko Art Center, Seoul, KR
Social Practice & Teaching
2026 Workshop, Chong Kun Dang Kochon Foundation, Seoul, KR
2026 Workshop, Farmers Market Marche@, Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Seoul, KR
2025 Workshop, Seoul Arts & Culture Education Center Seocho, Seoul, KR
2025 Workshop, Jeju Foundation for Arts & Culture, Jeju, KR
2025 Workshop, Suwon Art Space Gwanggyo, Suwon, KR
2025 Mentoring, Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation, Suwon, KR
2025 Workshop, Modu Art Space, Seoul, KR
2025 Workshop, Piknic, Seoul, KR
2025 Workshop, Paradise Cultural Foundation, Seoul, KR
2025 Workshop, Seoul Arts & Culture Education Center Seocho, Seoul, KR
2024 Artist Talk, Galdar, Seoul, KR
2024 Guest Lecture, Korea National University of Arts, Seoul, KR
2024 Workshop, Leeum Museum of Art, Seoul, KR
2024 Workshop, Paradise Cultural Foundation, Seoul, KR
2024 Mentoring, Arts Korea Lab, Seoul, KR
2023 Workshop, Asia Culture Center, Gwangju, KR
2023 Workshop, Seocho Cultural Foundation, Seoul, KR
2023 Lecture, Seoul Water Recycling Museum, Seoul, KR
2022 Guest Lecture, Yonsei University, Wonju, KR
2022 Mentoring, Hwaseong City Cultural Foundation, Hwaseong, KR
2022 Mentoring, Seoul Citizens Hall, Seoul, KR
2021 Guest Lecture, Myongji College, Seoul, KR
2020 Workshop, Youth Center, Ulsan, KR
2019 Lecture, Artspace Boan, Seoul, KR
2019 Mentoring, Seoul Upcycling Plaza, Seoul, KR
2019 Lecture, Ulsan Metropolitan Library, Ulsan, KR
2019 Workshop, UNIST Ulsan, KR
2019 Workshop, Octomo, Seoul, KR
2019 Lecturer (Basic Sound Theory, Spring Semester), UNIST, Ulsan, KR
2018 Workshop, Korea Creative Content Agency, Seoul, KR
2017 Lecture, UNIST, Ulsan, KR
Discography
2025 Deep Deep Hearts – Dey Kim, Cucumber9 Records
2025 Trinity (live at dotolim) – saaamkiiim
2024 lull~Yuyeong – Modular Seoul, Seoul Electronic Records
2022 Acoustic Territories Vol.0 (compilation)
2022 My Self – saaamkiiim, Stellive
2022 Theosophy – Detection of Dead Spot, The Arts Label
2021 Borderless – Detection of Dead Spot, The Arts Label
2020 Ma-chal – saaamkiiim, Mung Music
2020 Chitchat – Dey Kim & Sun Ki Kim, inipi
2020 Decoded & Interpreted – Dey Kim, Cucumber9 Records
2019 Wave – Detection of Dead Spot, The Arts Label
2019 Light – Detection of Dead Spot, The Arts Label
2018 CROSSTALK – Dey Kim & Rozi Mákó, Cucumber9 Records
2014 Sea Breeze from Jeju – Goyo, Feelosophy Entertainment
2010 Came Alone – Goyo, DigitalRecord Inc.
2009 Calmness – Goyo, Self-released
Grants & Residencies
2026 Artience Daejeon, Daejeon Culture and Arts Foundation, KR
2025 RE:SEARCH, Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, KR
2023 ZER01NE Alumni, Hyundai Motor Group, KR
2022 ZER01NE Creator, Hyundai Motor Group, KR
2022 Incheon Art Platform (Artist-in-Residence), KR
2022 WAVE, Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, KR
PRESS
2024 곰팡이-박테리아… 다시 보니 예술이네, 동아일보
2023 서울시국악관현악단, 믹스드 오케스트라 Ⅱ <소리의 색채>, 서울문화투데이
2023 범패와 전자음악의 멋진 하모니…‘새로운 음악 장르로’, BBS불교방송
2022 생물간 연결성과 관계성을 소리로 탐구하는 예술가 김대희, 월간 리뷰
2020 울산서 일반인~전공자 참여 내달 7일~9월 9일 작곡 워크숍, 울산제일일보
2019 유니스트 사이언스월든센터 ‘렉처 콘서트-숨은 연결 듣기’, 경향신문
2019 울산시민 문화예술 아카데미 다섯번째 강좌, 울산제일일보
2019 제주 ‘섬’에서 찾아낸 다양한 ‘화두’와 ‘영감’, 제주일보
2019 과학이 그리는 미래를 예술로 표현하다, 노컷뉴스
2013 Nature + Media Annuale, Eloquence
2013 과학자+예술가+건축가 만나 과학예술 꽃피다, 대덕넷
2012 미생물로 폐수처리하고 전기까지 얻는다, 동아일보
2010 Best Music of the Month, Music Alliance Pact, The Guardian
2007 세계적 권위 국제학회에서 주목, 조선일보
PHOTOGRAPH
김대희 | Dey Kim 