Sansu Culture’s special exhibition, *Stars Beneath the Ground*, originated from interest in the restoration of Sungnyemun Gate, which reopened in 2013 following the arson incident in 2008. The restoration of Sungnyemun is a representative example that has sparked various controversies, including shoddy construction and damage to the original form. However, such controversies are not limited to the restoration of Sungnyemun alone. The restoration and preservation of tangible cultural heritage are fundamentally bound to be a forum for mediation where tradition and the contemporary era clash and compromise. Restoration involves various measures to maintain and understand the aesthetic and historical value of damaged cultural assets, while preservation involves various methods to delay unforeseen accidents or natural aging. It is meaningful to examine how the physical and chemical conditions constituting the exterior of cultural assets have changed over time, because material changes themselves constitute rich historical and cultural data. Furthermore, through restoration and preservation ethics that evolve with the times, I sought to draw attention to the diverse ways of interpreting tradition, the distinction between constructed tradition and tradition outside the institutional framework, and the intersection of values across different time periods... [Excerpt]

In this exhibition, Kang Woo-hyuk likens common everyday events to the restoration of artifacts, creating installation works using carefully selected objects such as ancestral tablets, mats, and bamboo frames. By highlighting the inherent physical properties of the materials, he evokes the complex relationships between generations and the intangible value of heritage.

(Excerpt from the exhibition preface of Kim Ji-pyeong, *Stars Beneath the Ground*)