IM Youngzoo's new solo exhibition, "The Late 故," is on view at Space ZeroOne in New York through July 25. The show combines a VR-like installation about tricking the messenger of death with research from the artist's New York residency, including exchanges with scientists from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, taxidermy practices, and birdwatcher tracking systems. LiDAR sensors track visitor movement, logging data, and excerpts from Youngzoo's Calming Signal (2023/25), for which she received the 2025 Frieze Artist Award, are included. The artist explores the overlap between technology and shamanistic beliefs, drawing on her upbringing in Korea during rapid technological acceleration alongside persistent spiritual practices.
This exhibition matters because it challenges the perceived opposition between superstition and science, arguing that contemporary technology—especially AI and VR—functions as a new form of belief system. Youngzoo's work, recognized with the prestigious Frieze Artist Award, positions the gallery as a proto-VR environment that reorganizes perception and embodiment. By merging immersive technology with spiritual inquiry, the show contributes to broader cultural conversations about how faith, ritual, and trust are being reconfigured in the digital age, making it relevant to discussions of art, technology, and belief.