WEBZINE ACC

Can any life or matter exist entirely in itself? We’re all familiar with the idea that everything is connected in a great web of ecosystems, whether it be humans, animals, plants, and other life of all sizes. What about the material world? From atoms to nuclei and electrons, to protons, neutrons, and quarks, the smallest particles known … It is said that despite years of research by scientists, no particle has ever been found to exist in itself. In other words, the idea that everything in the world is interconnected and things do not exist in isolation is not just a humanistic thought but an idea proven by science. This fact of interconnectedness is enough of a reason for us to discard the notion of the survival of the fittest and turn toward coexisting together.

A special exhibition in the National Asian Culture Center (hereafter ACC) allows one to explore the value of coexistence in this age through the lens of art. The ACC convergent exhibition <Urbanscape: Connectivity and Coexistence>, like its title, explores the interconnected nature of life through the “connectivity” of architecture: Just as materials touch, connect, and build upon each other to create architectural structures, our lives are also built through touch, connection, and forging relationships. This exhibition also reflects the main theme of the National Asian Culture Center this year, “urban culture.”

From Korea to France, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Germany, Switzerland, and Spain, contemporary artists from around the world deliver messages of coexistence and coming together through 19 works of art. Since its opening on December 22, the exhibition is said to have reached the 100,000 visitor count in two months. How did the exhibition interpret the idea of coexistence through architecture? I visited the exhibition hall with senior curator Lee Sang-hyeon, the supervising senior curator of this exhibition. Lee senior curator took me through the exhibition with helpful tips on how to approach the theme.

Senior Curator Lee Sang-hyeon / ACC Exhibition Planning
“The theme of the exhibition is organized into four overarching themes. The first is “Touch,” in the sense that materials touch and start the beginning of something. The materials touch and “Connect,” the second theme, followed by “Stack,” materials being stacked atop one another, and “Build.” These themes speak to the process in which a structure is built.”

“Touch - Touch Me”

The first thing that captures the gaze of the beholder at the entrance to the exhibition hall is the media art towering above oneself. One finds oneself wondering what kind of world would unfold before one’s eyes while passing through this threshold. On the screen, shaped like a massive door, traditional Korean architecture and contemporary buildings come together and create new images. The perspective closes into some parts of the building, dizzyingly filling the screen with an exaggerated depiction of that part, and at other times, the screen unfolds into symmetrical images. This is <Parallel Echoes>, created by media artist Cho Young-kak, a reinterpretation of contemporary architecture using generative AI.

Through this metaphysical exploration of architectural spaces from the perspective of an AI, the artists ask: Can you tell which is real or not, between the world we see and the world the AI sees? This is a question certainly worth exploring in an age where many facets of life feature AI, or even perhaps are controlled by AI.

Artist Cho Young-kak
“This is AI’s interpretation of the idea that the spaces where people live should be expressed in some specific format. As the title suggests, the text Parallel Echoes is a study of the world where AI and humans, AI and architecture, and these things coexist together.”

“Connect - Connect Us”

After passing through the door into the exhibition space, one finds oneself facing a new scenery. White bowls float along the flow on a large blue pool. These ceramic bowls of different sizes move closer, further away, and touch one another according to the flow of water, creating a gentle sense of resonance like a chamber music session. Audience members sitting on benches around the pool blend into the picture as if they are a part of the work.

This is the work <Clinamen v.9>, created by the French artist Céleste Boursier-Mougenot. The word “Clinamen” comes from the Roman philosopher Lucretius, meaning “an unpredictable movement of atoms.” My interpretation of the work is that just as bowls come together and meet one another to create beautiful harmony in unpredictable ways, our lives create new potentials through the process of the meeting. Who did I meet this day, and what kind of harmony did we create? The artist suggests that we stop here for a bit and listen to the harmony of water and the bowls.

Artist Céleste Boursier-Mougenot (France)
“This work is not intended to deliver a message. You can sit down and stay here for a while. In fact, you are a part of this work. The experience to be found here is that of the visitor falling into a dream-like experience when sitting down and looking at this work.”

“Build - Build Conversations”

Winged houses and trees fall from the sky. Perhaps they are not falling but are being shot toward a specific target, like darts toward a dart board symbolizing the Earth. Like arrows, the houses and trees fly toward the dartboard of Earth. Can they find their place on that board? Tokyo-based artist Bunpei Kado says that the way people compete to seize their house or land on the Earth is reminiscent of a game of darts. The competition to seize more will inevitably lead to development and destruction. This work invites us to imagine our near future, and what the Earth will look like after this game of darts.

Bunpei Kado (Japan)
“The urban population is growing excessively. We have no space to build houses, so our living spaces are shooting upward and upward. The problem of our living environment becoming narrower and narrower for us is not only a problem in Japan but also one that is found across the world. I hope that this work will present an opportunity for the visitors to reflect on the problem of space and environment.”

The next space that captures one’s gaze is white all over, creating a dreamy ambiance like that of a secret garden. The work <Eden>, created by Malaysian artist Pamela Poh Sin Tan, visualizes the DNA structure of plants using acrylic and crystalline materials. Vines grow on arch-shaped passages, while pillars that support these arches resemble the roots of ancient trees. Crystal beads that hang from the vines bring to mind dew droplets hanging at the end of leaves. As one walks through, touches, and observes the DNA structure of plants, which is only visible to us through microscopes, one cannot help but feel the greatness inherent in small things. Just as DNA structures connect seamlessly, perhaps we find our “Eden” in the moment of connection between humans, and between humans and nature. Perhaps <Eden> is within us to be found.

Artist Pamela Poh Sin Tan (Malaysia)
“I tried to understand the natural ecosystem from the perspective of how humans feel their connection with nature and how they seek to return to nature to be connected with it. This work is a visualization of the DNA structure of a plant, and I sought to invoke the mysteries of nature, the relationship between humans and nature, and the idea that everything around us is interconnected.”

“Construct - Construct Dreams”

Materials touch, connect to other objects, and create a new building as they are stacked. The act of building is the act of defining what spaces we shall live in and how we shall live in that space, so the act of building is also about our lives and dreams. Furthermore, that act is only possible when we are together. The last theme of the exhibition, “Build - Our Dreams,” has a work that shows us how the world is built together.

This is the work <Infinite Wheel>, created by the Japanese artist Azuma Koichiro. It is an installation created by connecting 56 bicycle wheels, all from discarded bicycles. Half of these wheels were procured from Japan and the other half from Korea. When one steps on the pedal, one finds that 56 wheels all move together. Just as the movement of the whole goes out of sync when one wheel, or even one bolt is missing, our world is like that as well. There is no being that is not precious. This is an intuitive demonstration of the idea that the world moves together when everyone coexists in harmony together.

ACC convergent content exhibition <Urbanscape: Connectivity and Coexistence>, wherein artists from around the world realize the themes of “connectivity” and “coexistence” through the lens of architecture. The story so far is the story of <Urbanscape: Connectivity and Coexistence>, but the story moving forward can be our story together. This exhibition can be the first step in that magical story that comes to life when we decide to open the doors of relationships and connect with others. The exhibition is held in ACC Creation Space 2 until July 21.

• Q. How can I get the most out of the exhibition <Urbanscape: Connectivity and Coexistence>?

  Senior Curator Lee Sang-hyeon / ACC Exhibition Planning

  “Every work in this exhibition has its own unique charms, but perhaps it is more engaging to approach the exhibition hall as a city made up of these works. Instead of dividing the exhibition into singular parts, you can think about why this exhibition is titled <Urbanscape: Connectivity and Coexistence>, how these themes are arranged, and other questions with curiosity. I think that will allow you to discover new and unexpected things.”