‘Utopia’

Art-Icon: Corporeality

Paris Photo 2024

Kim brings his captivating work Utopia to the Art-Icon: Corporeality exhibition, presented as part of Paris Photo 2024.

Part of his ongoing personal project Ancient Tales, this black-and-white photograph delves into mythology and storytelling, blending timeless narratives with a modern lens to explore identity, beauty, and community.

Lang’s work draws deeply from his travels and an enduring fascination with cultural traditions, weaving elements of ancient dress and symbolism into a contemporary context. With Utopia, he creates a striking juxtaposition between historical practices and modern aesthetics, questioning what we leave behind in the pursuit of progress. The photograph blurs the line between reality and fantasy, evoking a world both familiar and otherworldly.

Presented as part of a larger series, Utopia challenges perceptions of masculinity in today’s society. By gathering a diverse cast of men in an artificial yet profoundly emotive setting, Lang constructs a visual narrative that transcends time, celebrating the power of storytelling through the art of clothing. Utopia is a bold testament to Lang’s ability to reimagine modernity while forging a connection to the past, sparking questions about identity, unity, and the meanings we assign to tradition.

Exhibited within the framework of Paris Photo, the world’s leading art fair dedicated to photography, this photograph invites viewers to step into a re-envisioned world, where ancient and modern merge to create something truly timeless.