Taewon Ahn (b. 1993), originally from Seoul, uses digital art as an extension of reality. By manipulating and distorting virtual images, he creates new ones that suggest alternative versions of reality. These images often take shape as three-dimensional objects, making the intersection between the physical and the virtual even more tangible. This is the case with the work from the Hiro is Everywhere series, in which the distorted image of a cat is applied to a stool, conforming to its shape and merging seamlessly with it. The cat’s face appears on the seat, while its four legs replace those of the stool. The result is at once grotesque and humorous, and Ahn deliberately plays on this duality, reflecting the hybrid coexistence of two seemingly opposing dimensions. The distortion of the image thus becomes the outcome not only of a clash, but also of a fusion between these two realms.
In many ways, the work can be understood as a physical meme. It is generated through the same process that underlies internet memes: drawing on familiar, shared imagery to create altered versions of reality that invite circulation and reinterpretation online. It is no coincidence that the protagonist of the series is Hiro, the artist’s own cat—a constant presence in his everyday life who, through these transformations, acquires new meanings while remaining instantly recognizable.
The work is currently on view in CATS!, an exhibition at the MARKK – Museum am Rothenbaum. Kulturen und Künste der Welt in Hamburg, Germany. Bringing together works by numerous artists alongside objects drawn from the worlds of media and consumer culture, the exhibition revolves around a single subject: the cat. It explores the feline as a figure that embodies a wide range of meanings, many of them contradictory. Cats are symbols of affection and tenderness, but also of fear and ferocity. Across different historical periods and cultural contexts, they have been revered as sacred animals—as in ancient Egypt—or associated with dark, demonic forces and regarded as omens of misfortune. All of these meanings converge in a single figure. The diversity of artworks and objects on display perfectly reflects this multiplicity of interpretations, with each presenting a distinct vision of the cat, shaped by artistic sensibility, collective imagination, and the influence of the media.

Taewon Ahn, Hiro is Everywhere, 2023, Acrylic on resin, 51 x 31 x 34 cm,
MARKK cat. no. 2025.16:1, Purchase, 2025
© P21 and Taewon Ahn, Photo: Jonghyun Seo

18/07/26