“Driving home for Christmas with a thousand memories”—this is a line from Chris Rea’s eponymous song, a song I often listen to while driving home. The homes we are heading to are probably not just a physical place, but somewhere filled with family or memories. What does “home” mean in South Korea, particularly in Seoul, which is often referred to as the “Republic of Apartments”?

The exhibition highlights small houses that have been built in urban areas since 2000, focusing not on the form or structure of the houses, but on the lives of those living in them. The curator uses the active verb “connecting” instead of the passive “connected” to convey the message that the audience should actively connect their own lives with those of others. The exhibition shows how houses designed by architects have impacted the lives of their residents. Through architects’ notebooks, models, and photographs, the exhibition emphasizes that houses are not merely spaces, but also carry the stories of the people who inhabit them.

In particular, the first section “The Home as Architectural Manifesto” emphasizes an active way of viewing space, encouraging visitors to think about the traces they want to leave in the spaces they live in. Through this exhibition, people are invited to reflect on the values they prioritize in their daily lives and how they form relationships with their families and neighbors

The exhibition, made up of five chapters featuring various homes and stories of life, concludes with a space where visitors can imagine and decorate their own spaces. Additionally, a video series— documentaries, animations, and fictional stories—is shown to continue deepening the exploration of the concept of home. Ultimately, the exhibition poses the question of the kind of home we want to live in, and how we can realize a life that reflects our true selves in that home. As many are heading home this December it is a time to rethink its meaning.

hk. (CAC)