Title of art	상황 871/Situation 871			Sector	Painting (회화)
Art specifications	118?59cm			Material technique	Oil on canvas
Collection year	2001			Production year	1987
Gallery	Seoul Museum of Art			Artist	Shin Hak-cheul
Description of art	“Situation 871” (1987) is one of Shin’s “Situation”series released in the 1980s, which portrayed the circumstances of the time with a focus on the city. The year 1987, when this work was created, was a time when the government spurred on last-ditch improvements of the urban environment ahead of the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Slums that once spoiled the beautiful urban landscape were demolished and residents living in the vicinity of the Olympic torch relay were forced to leave their homes. As if to reflect these situations, against the backdrop of Namsan Tower, which is shining brightly in the night sky, a planned city of concrete buildings can be seen in the background, while timeworn houses that mushroomed along the gentle slope of the mountain occupy the foreground. The arms of an intense red that break through the ridge of the mountain reach toward the sky with a desperate gesture like a final outcry. The gigantic yet emaciated arms symbolize the social classes that have been marginalized from the city, describing their situation in allegory.
Address	61, Deoksugung-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul			Source	Seoul Metropolitan Government