
$1,700
“Matter is composed of indivisible atoms.” The idea of the ancient Greek philosopher Democritus (c. 460 BCE) began as a form of reasoning without scientific proof. Yet thousands of years later, his thought is summoned once again into the present: a coin bearing his portrait is overlaid with a Wall Street Journal article on quantum chips. The coin’s rough metallic surface is magnified through optical and electron microscopy, and layered upon it is a silicon-based quantum chip—alongside an article discussing Microsoft’s “Majorana” project (a key concept in quantum computing, named after the Italian physicist Ettore Majorana) and its architecture, a design approach currently under research for quantum computers. Classical atomism has now expanded into a new unit—the qubit, the fundamental unit of information in quantum computing—where determinacy and indeterminacy, particles and probability, philosophy and engineering collide within a single frame. The work asks: what is the true fundamental unit that constitutes the universe? And at that boundary, how far can humans think, and how far can they calculate? The coin symbolizes the philosophy of the past, while the newspaper represents the technology of the present. In the space between them, we are invited to reimagine the essence of existence.
Artwork details+
- Medium
- Pigment Print and UV Print
- Size
- 80 cm x 80 cm x 5 cm
- Year
- 2025
- Signature
- Signed and numbered on verso
- Framing
- 83 cm x 83 cm x 5 cm
- Edition
- 1/5
- Certificate
- Certificate of Authenticity issued by the gallery
Shipping & taxes+
- Ships from the gallery's location (set per work, defaults to the gallery address)
- Cost calculated at checkout by destination
- Optional full insurance in transit
- Usually ships within 10 business days, fine-art packed
- In-person pickup available for some works (no shipping fee)
- Listed price may include VAT applicable in the seller's country or the work's place of shipment
- Duties, import VAT/GST, customs fees, and other taxes in the buyer's country are not included and are the buyer's responsibility
- These are assessed by the destination customs authority and billed separately by the carrier
- Sales tax may be added at checkout depending on jurisdiction

I begin my work by examining the surface of worn coins, an act that calls forth forgotten civilizations rather than mere observation. Using optical and electron microscopes, I extend microscopic surfaces beyond the limits of the naked eye and translate them into visual language, juxtaposing additional images onto the metal. The microscopes are not merely tools of magnification but devices that transform perception. I no longer see coins as currency, but as material records where power, belief, and identity are compressed, their cracks and textures revealing layers of time and history. I overlay these surfaces with newspaper articles, film scenes, and symbolic objects, allowing images from different eras to collide and intersect within a single frame. For me, magnification is both a physical expansion and a metaphorical leap toward deeper perception, where scientific visuality and imagination coexist. Ultimately, this work uses technology to reveal the unseen and question what is recorded or erased, turning the coin into a canvas for lost voices.
Go to artist page →
SEJI GALLERY, located in Bukchon, Jongno, continues the historical context of Gye-dong's unique culture and art, realizing the value of contemporary art and seeking a new direction for exhibition planning. We run exhibitions that can attract more widespread attention by artists, and we want to create meaningful contacts between artists and visitors. We believe that appreciation of the impact of works on us is important, and we introduce works that present various perspectives. It is a gallery that spreads the positive role of art so that visitors can sympathize with it with a rich perspective in understanding the works, and contributes to more people enjoying valuable works.
Go to gallery page →$1,700
“Matter is composed of indivisible atoms.” The idea of the ancient Greek philosopher Democritus (c. 460 BCE) began as a form of reasoning without scientific proof. Yet thousands of years later, his thought is summoned once again into the present: a coin bearing his portrait is overlaid with a Wall Street Journal article on quantum chips. The coin’s rough metallic surface is magnified through optical and electron microscopy, and layered upon it is a silicon-based quantum chip—alongside an article discussing Microsoft’s “Majorana” project (a key concept in quantum computing, named after the Italian physicist Ettore Majorana) and its architecture, a design approach currently under research for quantum computers. Classical atomism has now expanded into a new unit—the qubit, the fundamental unit of information in quantum computing—where determinacy and indeterminacy, particles and probability, philosophy and engineering collide within a single frame. The work asks: what is the true fundamental unit that constitutes the universe? And at that boundary, how far can humans think, and how far can they calculate? The coin symbolizes the philosophy of the past, while the newspaper represents the technology of the present. In the space between them, we are invited to reimagine the essence of existence.
Artwork details+
- Medium
- Pigment Print and UV Print
- Size
- 80 cm x 80 cm x 5 cm
- Year
- 2025
- Signature
- Signed and numbered on verso
- Framing
- 83 cm x 83 cm x 5 cm
- Edition
- 1/5
- Certificate
- Certificate of Authenticity issued by the gallery
Shipping & taxes+
- Ships from the gallery's location (set per work, defaults to the gallery address)
- Cost calculated at checkout by destination
- Optional full insurance in transit
- Usually ships within 10 business days, fine-art packed
- In-person pickup available for some works (no shipping fee)
- Listed price may include VAT applicable in the seller's country or the work's place of shipment
- Duties, import VAT/GST, customs fees, and other taxes in the buyer's country are not included and are the buyer's responsibility
- These are assessed by the destination customs authority and billed separately by the carrier
- Sales tax may be added at checkout depending on jurisdiction
$1,700

