Hwayeon Nam is often mesmerized by the finitude of being and the mystery of time. Through solo exhibitions such as Time Mechanics (Arko Art Center, Seoul, 2015), Mind Stream (Art Sonje Center, Seoul, 2020), Gabriel (Atelier Hermès, Seoul, 2023) and group exhibitions including The 56th Venice Biennale (2015), she has presented her explorations of phenomena in which recorded time arrives in the present in new ways through different rhythms and cycles, including human beings, nature, and history.

In 2012, she began a multi-year research project tracing the history of modern dancer Choi Seung-hee (1911–1969) and archival material on her work; this was subsequently broadened into an effort involving the writing of polyphonic histories and the relationship between performances and the performance archive. Related works have been presented at Festival Bo:m (2012), the Korean Pavilion at The 58th Venice Biennale (2019), and Mind Stream.