Straws and strings become art
빨대와 끈이 예술작품으로
.jpg) |
| "Liminal
Air -Descend-" by Shinji Ohmaki is on display at the Museum of Modern and
Contemporary Art (MMCA) Seoul as a part of the "Interplay" exhibition running
through Aug. 23. / Courtesy of MMCA |
일본 작가 Shinji Ohmaki's
'하강' 이라는 구름과 공기의 하강의 시각적 에너지라는 현대미술 설치 작품
By Kwon
Mee-yoo
A plethora of white strings is suspended from the ceiling of a
gallery in the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) Seoul. Visitors can
enter this space after taking their shoes off and they have to pass through a
forest of white cords shaping soft curves.
This is Japanese
artist Shinji Ohmaki's "Liminal Air -Descend-" which visualizes energy flow of
descending air and clouds. Visitors brush against the fluffy string, weaved in
the Japanese traditional knot-making way, and the passage maximizes their
sensory experience. After plowing through, the visitors have a chance to look
back at the white sea of string they have just passed.
This
is a part of "Interplay," a site-specific project held at the MMCA Seoul's
Gallery 6. The Galley 6 is one of the architecturally interesting rooms in the
art museum. The galley has two stories connected through a narrow staircase and
visitors will encounter a different atmosphere in each room of the
gallery.
"Today is an era of convergence. Artists do not
unilaterally display their work, but try to engage the viewers, expanding their
experience," the exhibit's curator said.
Artistic duo avaf
(Assume Vivid Astro Focus), composed of Elizer Sudbrack Simoes and Christophe
Hamaide-Pierson, presents "10 Wallpapers," which literally adorns the walls of
the gallery customized for the MMCA's gallery.
.jpg) |
| "Spectra
(Double)" by Ross Manning |
The duo,
self-proclaimed as "homo virus sapiens," creates a dreamlike environment with
images borrowed from mass media and colorful neon. Despite the fancy visuals of
their works, avaf shows their critical attitude toward political, sexual and
national identities.
After descending the stairs, visitors
will face revolving, fluorescent lights. This kinetic sculpture is "Spectra
(Double)" by Australian artist Ross Manning. Manning, once a TV repairman,
portrays his interest in light in the piece.
The fluorescent
tubes are colored in red, green and blue _ the three primary colors of light. As
the lamps rotate randomly, they create an arbitrary combination of colors. With
buzzing sound of attached fans, visitors can soak themselves into a visual and
auditory experience.
Korean-American artist Jinnie Seo
portrays a Taoist viewpoint in her artwork "Wandering
Still."
Taking inspiration from the Joseon poetess Heo
Nanseolheon (1563–1589), Seo interprets the notional landscape in a
multi-sensory way. She creates a bunch of clouds with over 2,000 plastic straws
and mountains with rolled floor paper colored with soybean
oil.
Seo transforms the two-dimensional traditional
landscape into a three-dimensional space, complete with the nutty fragrance from
soybean, which is a traditional material to color and strengthen the papered
floor.
The exhibit runs through Aug. 23. MMCA Seoul's
general admission is 4,000 won. For more information, visit www.mmca.go.kr or
call (02) 3701-9500.
출처: 코리아타임즈
