Seoul’s Delivery Riders Race Through Time, Not Just Traffic, in Ayoung Kim’s Dazzling Worlds

Ayoung Kim transforms the everyday rush of Seoul’s delivery drivers into a cinematic universe where time bends and action heroes wear motorcycle helmets. Her video works, inspired by the city’s app-driven delivery culture, spotlight women couriers as protagonists navigating not just city streets, but also the invisible pressures of digital optimization. Kim’s “Delivery Dancer” series fuses CGI with live action, following characters who dart through glitchy, labyrinthine versions of Seoul, sometimes even encountering alternate versions of themselves. These speculative stories reveal the hidden costs of a society obsessed with speed and efficiency—a phenomenon scholars call “technoprecarity.” Drawing from sci-fi, anime, and Borges’ literary mazes, Kim’s art blurs the line between reality and virtuality, reflecting the many selves we juggle in a hyperconnected world. Her couriers aren’t just delivering food—they’re racing against existential deadlines in a city that never slows down. In Kim’s Seoul, every shortcut is a crossroads, and every delivery could be a leap into another reality. #KoreanArt #DigitalCulture #WomenInArt #Culture