What we see isn’t everything.

In contemporary society, it is possible to learn about other countries even without visiting them, thanks to digital media (e.g., YouTube). However, the images that are portrayed in the media are often an exaggerated version of reality. On one hand, these images make us fantasize about other countries and, on the other hand, they create stereotypes about them. Nevertheless, every country has a bright side and a dark side. The bright sides are easily accessible with a few clicks, but some of the dark sides can be only understood when you become a part of the society and experience them yourself. This project sheds light on the hidden but shared emotions that young Koreans have experienced in the particular societal context: South Korea, visualized by 3D animation and clips from the interview. Within the 3D animation, interviewee’s stories and emotions are expressed metaphorically by means of specific objects, spaces, (three) colors, movement, and lighting. For instance, black color serves as the base color of this project and represents the conservative Korean society that does not change easily no matter what other color is mixed with. The aim of this project is two-folded; (1) within the Korean society: to encourage exchange of similar experiences / emotions, which could inspire a critical evaluation of the current societal issues and (2) outside South Korea: to provide a realistic sneak peek on the dark side of Korea towards those who are interested in South Korea or those who do not know well about South Korea.