Sung Hyun-Hwang

Subtitles & Captions is a video project that traces Hyun’s journey of inner growth through the medium of subtitles.
Living abroad for the first time, far from Korea, Hyun encountered language barriers and cultural differences—experiences he began to understand and articulate through the symbolic lens of subtitles.

The relationship between subtitles and main content mirrors the dynamic between dominant and marginalized cultures. For Hyun, subtitles became both a tool for self-reflection and a metaphor for himself—a quiet presence living in the Netherlands.
In Subtitles & Captions, he liberates the voice of the subtitle from the bottom of the screen, granting it new meaning and emotional weight.

Composed of four narrative parts, the project unfolds across four screens, each posing a question to the viewer:
Have you ever been truly alone?
Have you ever listened closely to your inner voice?
What does language mean to you?