Young-Hae Chang Heavy Industries (YHCHI), founded by Korean artist and translator Young-Hae Chang and American poet Marc Voge, is among the pioneers of the international net art movement. Since the late 1990s, the duo has explored the internet not as a technological tool but as an autonomous artistic space — where text, time, and sound merge into a new form of visual poetry.

Their works are digital text animations, originally created in Adobe Flash and accompanied by self-composed, often jazzy soundtracks. In these minimalist combinations of words and music, stories unfold about everyday life, love, politics, globalization, and the art world. The texts appear rhythmically on screen in the plain Monaco typeface, without images, color, or interactivity. This radical simplicity focuses attention on language, rhythm, and meaning — poetry performed through image and sound.

YHCHI’s practice lies at the intersection of literature, cinema, and performance. Drawing on traditions of concrete poetry, Beat literature, and experimental film, their approach is unmistakably digital. The precise synchronization of text and music produces a tightly choreographed cadence in which language becomes almost musical. Their tone alternates between wit, critique, and empathy — a commentary on consumption, power, and the fragility of human experience.

Among the first artists to embrace the internet as a site for artistic production, YHCHI have presented their works in over twenty languages, reaching a global audience. As they once remarked: “All you need is your own website and an Internet connection — you no longer need an artist’s studio.” Their work transcends geographic and cultural boundaries, securing its place within the canon of early digital art.

YHCHI’s works are part of major international collections, including the Tate Modern in London and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA). They have been recognized by institutions such as the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York, the Foundation for Contemporary Arts, and the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center. Their participation in the 9th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art at QAGOMA, Brisbane, further affirmed their global significance.

Recent exhibitions include The Experiment is Democracy. Fascism is the Control (Buk-Seoul Museum of Art, 2025) and Welcome to Seouland! (Asia Culture Center, Gwangju, 2025).

For more information, visit:
👉 www.yhchang.com