The Colors of Hope

Honored among the awarded works of the Florence Biennale of Contemporary Art in 2003, “Promised Land” is one of the many Hung creations that draw on biblical narrative.

The episode of the flight to Egypt is interpreted in an original way. Not only is the holy family forced to become refugees, but an entire people, who offer a clear appeal to the many migrants and refugees, victims of today’s refusal and exploitation. The faces speak to us not only of the fatigue and fear of those who are exiled but also of their ability to dream and desire freedom.

It is precisely this mood that convinced Hung to attribute the novelty of color to this work that until 2018 had remained on display in his atelier. While preparing for the installation in the Church of Kwangpyeongdong, in Daejon, South Korea, he was seized by the news of an imminent rapprochement between the two Koreas.

Hung thus felt the urge to modify the work on the site by transmitting the joy of a forthcoming reconciliation and the wish for a newfound peace with colored strokes.