the strAnge balll #016Noh, Suntag · 2007

High technology Radar Dome in Daechu-ri Korea shows us the process of discovering the identity of the white massive structure that stands in the middle of the open fields of Daechoori village in Pyoungtaek, Korea. In his approximately 100 page journal, the artist records interviews with the villagers with inquiry letters sent to the U.S. army headquarters in Korea, information collected through a search engine across domestic and international sites, consultative information from military advisers, and documents on the structure. Also, it shows what happened to the old farmers who lived adjacent to the white ball. The name of this high capacity radar is Radome, a combined word of Radar and Dome. It represents the status of the U.S. in the Korean Peninsula, which has a strong influence on Korean politics, holding complete control over national security and information. The Daechoori village in Pyoungtaek was completely destroyed by a massive U.S. military base extension project, under the plan for ‘strategic flexibility’. The Daechoori villagers have a long history of exploitation by foreign forces; firstly during the Japanese colonial period and again after the breakout of the Korean War, by U.S. military forces. The agricultural communities that survived these hard times were completely dismantled during the violence of 2006. Korean society could not provide a proper solution for the desperate appeals of the old farmers. series consists of about 100 photographic images. The image of Radome harmonizes uncannily with the surrounding sceneries, sometimes hiding itself and sometimes highlighting itself in the scene. It might seem that we are free to enjoy the disguising skill of the naughty, strange ball, but it actually might be the will of the monster.