Page 63 - ebook

Jin Kyung Chong uses the blue bird as a motif—along with fairy tale-esque designs—to
reawaken viewers to the meaning and joys of life. Chirchir and Michir and The Blue Bird are both
stories of hope that are based on Maurice Maeterlinck’s 1909 play The Blue Bird. Chirchir and
Michir is a pop-up book-like artwork that looks like the stage of a play. By blending the bird’s
chirping and movements, it shows key scenes from the titular story in which Chirchir and Michir
go on a journey in search of a blue bird, eventually discovering their own “blue bird”—their pet
thrush. The artwork inspires visitors to search for (and find) their own “blue birds” that exist
within the scope of their daily routines.

Chong’s The Blue Bird is a video that reminds us that the happiness and hope we seek, but
have long since stopped expecting, are actually not very far away. Chong leads visitors through a
very special forest in search of a blue bird to help them recall the true meaning of happiness.