An artwork carries so many layers of meaning that sometimes you have to sniff them out; a painting is no longer simply a decoration for the wall, nor a vase merely an ornament on a mantelpiece. In her recent works titled Translation—Vase, 2007, Meekyoung Shin replicates different classical vases from Qing-period China and Joseon-dynasty Korea, using an unexpected material. Showcased on two floors of Mongin Art Center, a newcomer to the popular Samchung gallery district, Shin’s eighteen vases, eleven glass vessels, and nineteen Buddha statuettes stood looking deceptively authentic and solemn.