BIO
Dr Yiyun Kang received her BFA from Seoul National University, MFA from UCLA’s Design & Media Arts, and PhD from Royal College of Art (RCA). Kang is an assistant professor of the Industrial Design department in the Engineering school at KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology) and an associate lecturer at the RCA. As director of KAIST's Experience Design Lab (XD Lab), Kang explores the genuine convergence of art, design, technology, and science through research and practice.
Kang is serving as a Civilian Member of the Public Diplomacy Committee under the Korea Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and is also a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, UK (FRSA).
Kang's artistic endeavors aim to provoke critical reflections on anthropocentric thought and dualistic ontologies. Much of Kang’s work is rooted in the idea that we no longer live in an era where binary thinking leads to the linear progress of humanity. Viewing art as a potent medium for communication and advocacy, Kang crafts deeply immersive experiences designed to evoke both emotion and intellectual inquiry in her audience, thereby amplifying diverse voices and fostering collective resonance.
Kang is an internationally recognized artist whose work has been exhibited at prestigious institutions such as the Victoria and Albert Museum. She has participated in major events like the Venice Architecture Biennale and the Shenzhen New Media Art Festival. Kang's art has been acquired by the V&A, and she has completed artist residencies at institutions including the V&A and the Korea National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA). Notable highlights include her participation in the transcontinental project CONNECT, BTS project (2020), solo exhibition "Anthropause" at PKM Gallery (2021), large-scale public artwork at Art on the Mart in Chicago (2023), and a collaboration with NASA and Google at the COP28 Dubai (2023).
Kang was awarded Reddot Award (2018), iF award (2024) and British Council Alumni Award for Culture and Creativity (2022). She is featured in Bloomberg’s Art+Technology series and her writings have been published in the Leonardo Journal (MIT Press) and Oxford University Press. Kang joined a formal meeting of the Digital Culture, Media and Sport committee at the Westminster, UK Parliament. She participated in several conferences and symposiums including SIGGRAPH. Kang also gives talks and lectures at international institutions, including the School of Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), Politecnico di Milano (Milano), SOAS University of London (London), Sotheby’s Institute of Art (London), and Christie’s London.