For Theresa, is a solo exhibition by London-based artist Mandy El-Sayegh, presented at Space K Seoul. Born in Malaysia and of Palestinian and Chinese heritage, El-Sayegh has developed a distinctive practice rooted in assemblage—shaped by her experience of hybrid identities. Her work unfolds as immersive, archival installations that employ intricate methods to recontextualize fragmented histories.
El-Sayegh’s practice interrogates hegemonic systems of knowledge, examining what these structures marginalize and what they seek to naturalize. By gathering dispersed imagery and text, she dismantles seemingly fixed orders to propose fluid, counter-narratives. Central to her research-driven approach is an exploration of how pedagogy is translated into aesthetics across cultural contexts.
For For Theresa, El-Sayegh engages deeply with Korean archives, incorporating a wide range of printed matter—from antique maps and calligraphy to banknotes—sourced from local museums, second-hand bookstores, and flea markets. Through processes of collection and categorization, she traces the political implications embedded within these materials, considering how they have historically contributed to the accumulation and maintenance of power.
The exhibition’s title references the legacy of Theresa Hak Kyung Cha. Drawing connections between her own practice and Cha’s seminal work Dictee, El-Sayegh explores shared concerns around fragmented subjectivity, the displacement of memory, and linguistic stratification. Conceived specifically for the architecture of Space K Seoul, the installation invites a physical and psychological passage—fostering deep immersion and a sense of collective resonance. Within this constructed environment, where meaning emerges from dislocated fragments, El-Sayegh opens up space for the poetic as a site of political and transformative potential.
