Born in Seoul in 1979, Ayoung Kim is a leading figure of the genre known as ‘speculative fiction’ in South Korea, creating virtual worlds that build on the real world. She draws inspiration from both archaeology and science fiction to create hybrid narratives that invite viewers to critically examine the major systems of our age. In the exhibition “Plot, Blob, Plop”, she draws the public into a parallel reality that centres on the Al-Mather residential complex in Riyadh, which was built by a Korean company and later occupied by Kuwaiti refugees during the Gulf War. Today, it is owned by wealthy Saudi families.

The exhibition engages with a range of issues surrounding oil production: financial speculation on this key commodity, the role of South Korean companies in the Middle East, the oil crisis and the Gulf War. The project is based on extensive research that includes on-site interviews and the memories of the artist's father, who once worked in the capital of Saudi Arabia.

Ayoung Kim has extrapolated this material to create an immersive experience for visitors to the Atelier Hermès. At the heart of the installation is a video work created using cutting-edge technologies including generative AI, which takes on a synesthetic dimension through an accompanying light-based installation. Sound effects further amplify the audience's experience, while blueprints of the Al-Mather residence and maps of Gulf War operations provide elements of historical context. Thanks to digital technologies, “Plot, Blob, Plop” brings to life a virtual world structured around concrete reality.

In 2015, the first stage of this project was presented at the Venice Biennale ‘s international exhibition to critical acclaim. Ayoung Kim’s work has been presented in numerous solo exhibitions in South Korea and internationally, including Palais de Tokyo in Paris, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne and the Hamburger Banhof in Berlin. In 2025 she was awarded the LG Guggenheim Prize.