Title Match: Oh In-hwan vs. Jang Seo-young: Human Error 2026

Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA) Buk-Seoul invites artists Oh In-hwan and Jang Seo-young for the 13th Title Match in 2026. While the works of the two artists may appear different in theme and form, they share a commonality in their deep exploration of the conditions and attributes of human existence. The 2026 Title Match, 《Oh In-hwan vs. Jang Seo-young: Human Error》, explores the essence of creation that only humans can achieve in an era where the belief that cutting-edge technology can replace human creativity has become prevalent.

The exhibition posits that an era has arrived where humanity must once again contemplate creation unique to humans, and it poses the question: what is the creation that only humans can perform? The exhibition title, "Human Error," serves as a provisional answer to this. A term primarily used in industrial settings to determine the cause of accidents, "human error" refers to "errors or mistakes occurring due to human physical or mental imperfection."

This expression reflects a psychology that regards humans as part of a system and suggests they should strive for a flawless perfection akin to a machine. This logic is applied identically to social systems. Mainstream society has defined those who do not conform to its established norms and standards as abnormal, attempting to exclude or correct them, and in the process, various minorities have been oppressed.

However, as creators, humans have constantly questioned what they were requested to be, committed deviations, and challenged the distinction between normal and abnormal. Just as the Latin etymology of "error" means "the physical act of wandering away from one's place," the exhibition focuses on the artist as a being who rejects fixed systems and intentionally causes errors, examining the practices of the two artists who seek to disrupt and escape rather than conform to the system.

Oh In-hwan focuses on humans as active beings who intentionally cause errors in fixed social systems. In this exhibition, under the theme of "We who are not one, I who am not one," the artist presents a variety of works ranging from participatory pieces to installations, videos, photographs, and texts. By questioning social customs or common notions and visualizing identities that change rather than converge into one, the artist seeks to create cracks in the collectivism of Korean society.

Jang Seo-young focuses on humans as imperfect beings who experience unexpected errors occurring within the body. The overarching theme of this exhibition is "Silicon Vanitas," combining "silicon," the primary material of semiconductors, with "Vanitas," an art form concerning the transience of life. The artist presents video and sculptural installation works that contrast technology, which develops without limit beyond human control, with the human body, which ages, falls ill, and eventually reaches death.

The two artists view humans not as subjects who perfectly control the world, but as beings who constantly influence and are influenced by technology, environment, and relationships with others. For them, error is not a flaw to be overcome, but a fundamental condition that defines human existence and a source of creation. In an era where cutting-edge technology replaces and expands human capabilities, the exhibition suggests rethinking what the conditions are that make a human truly human.

Source: Seoul Museum of Art website