We often feel a sign of a human being present around us by a tiny rustling sound, faint vibration in the air, or some mysterious aura of a being. Then we look around us to find, yes, the person we have expected. But a sign is not always right. Sometimes we can find no one.

Sometimes a human shaped statue creates the similar aura that human does. Does that aura indicate a spirit inside? It maybe exist or maybe not. I named such a sense of aura created by an object “Mulgicheok (its presence)”. Like a human shaped statue, I think the object which moves or changes like a robot can also create that kind of aura. That is why this exhibition is filled with media art works showing their own movements, sounds, and lights. All of art works are arranged densely in a small space. Compared with other exhibitions where the boundary between works is clearly defined, this exhibition may appear like a busy room packed with crowds. Such layout i s aimed to help the audience feel the signs of objects’ presence (aura) more keenly.

Imagining the audience invited to a room filled with living objects, I designed exhibition halls to appear like living rooms and art works to appear like furniture or household objects. And because there are two divided exhibition halls, I designed them to create contrasting atmospheres with each other. SeMA Nanji Exhibition Hall 1, for instance, is designed to help the audience feel the objects’ presence (aura) physically. The exhibits in this hall include by Kwon Yong-Chul which is designed to move with mechanical muscles, by Jung Seung marked by a buzzing hair dryer, and by Suk Sung-Suk consisting of a TV set and a disassembled radio placed on a desk. On the other hand, SeMA Nanji Exhibition Hall 2 is designed to help the audience sense the object’s presence (aura) virtually. There are by Lee Ye-Seung featuring moving shadows cast via a projector, by Suk Sung-Suk characterized by TV images put in a bag, and by Misung presenting video ornaments.

The only common element of these works from five different artists is that they are media art. These works are, however, fill the entire exhibition halls together with their presence combined and strengthened by amalgamation of different sounds, lights, and movements.

*image(left)
Movement project, 2013
mixed-media, variable dimension
© Yong-Chul Kwon

Courtesy of Seoul Museum of Art