From March 2nd to 5th, the <12th International Sculpture Festa 2023 in Seoul> was held in COEX. The Festa is a professional event that has been conducted annually since 2011, recording the largest scale of all sculpture festas in Korea. The theme of this year is ‘Sculpture, Beyond Space,’ which “aimed to search for the identity of sculpture, creating the new ‘space’ beyond the original ‘place’ based on both tangible and intangible environmental change.” Now, let’s dive right into this year’s Festa.
The Old Future: As paradoxical as the subject is, it displayed pieces showing traditional artwork interpreted again giving us a fresh feeling of the art through the new expressions. The consensus that the past is the very future, and new comprehensions can be earned through the section received the spotlight.
The Wave of the Future: Works that combined science and art were exhibited. Including the future-oriented scientific technology, the section presented a new paradigm through science-art collaboration, which is the feature of contemporary arts.
The Garden of Images: There are pieces on display that allow you to take a moment to contemplate the meaning of art itself. In the present, where forms and meanings of sculptures are transforming endlessly, 'The Garden of Images' answers the fundamental question of why people created sculptures in the first place.
The Record of Change: It shows sculptures which function as a record of human footprints, reflecting various aspects of society, such as the environment, politics, and the economy. Sculpture does not stop at showing off its beauty; it actively examines the corners of society, giving an opportunity to ask questions about the various changes humanity is facing.
CAH on Feet with Artists
Park Sang Su, the Master of Manifesting Synesthesia Through Sculptures
Q. There are many pieces of instruments. What did you hope to inspire in the viewers through them?
A. I usually made sculptures by traditional methods, but after being influenced by my wife playing the violin, I wanted my viewers to feel the musical impression through my pieces and combine the music’s auditive sense to visual sculpture. So I captured the external vibe, such as the curves, in the sculpture.
Q. Can you briefly introduce the sculptures to us?
A. The sculpture <Pathetic>’s futuristic line is sharp and more developed in the image. The top gives a strong modern image, so it is progressing from the past to the future. It contains natural materials. I want the viewers to visually recognize the future directed impression from this sculpture.
Kim Sung-ji, the Warm Hearted Artist Who Recovers Beauty Through Nature
Q. Is there an overarching theme to your artworks?
A. Since I wanted to attract the hearts of people, I used friendly trees as the art material and also brought the theme of art from nature. I have faith that I have to devote to recovering beauty itself, and I believe it can be found in nature.
Q. The works made by wood carving and putting color on them are very unique, seeming like a scene from a fairy tale. How did you complete these works?
A. I start creating with nothing but a faint image in my head. Since I try not to disobey the texture of the tree of the direction of the grain, I can only go with the flow. There could be a shape I want, but if it is different from where the grain is going, I have to make an endless choice about whether to follow it or go against it. It is not so different from our lives.
Choi Moon Seok, an Artist Sculptures Vitalizing the Nature Technologically
Q. Can you briefly introduce your sculptures?
A. I adopted the kinetic, which is an untraditional method, in my pieces and completed them by connecting scientific operations with art.
'Mosquito': “Riding a bike, I felt a shame that us making use of earth’s oil is just like mosquito sucking our blood. I was inspired to create the sculpture from this feeling.”
'Mechanical Wave': “I went through reproducing natural ocean waves. The mechanical wave which seems like a wind or a plant, started with the intent of expressing only though dots, lines, and faces, through the transmission of force.”
Q. What do you want the viewers to feel?
A. I don’t want my audience to feel anything. I excluded all the decorative elements hoping to them console with the movements of ocean waves.
Through the <12th International Sculpture Festa 2023 in Seoul: ‘Sculpture, Beyond Space>, let's visit the world of sculpture that presents you with a new space and dimension. This world which you would have never imagined before, is brought to you by sculptures that deliver comfort through meaningless movements, to sculptures that express social messages.