#pemmu

http://www.thecontemporaryaustin.org/exhibitions/do-ho-suh/

I came across Do Ho Suh’s work while browsing instagram. He’s a Korean installation artist and sculptor. At first I thought his work was either computer graphics or sketches but after doing some research I found that they are actually monochrome polyester structures. Some allow people to walk through whereas others are objects, such as the specimen series in the link above. 

I thought it was really interesting how he can make things that we see every day into these skeletal delicate forms. They are soft on the eye with colour and detail, drawing the onlooker in. I even think that some of them seem ghostly, not in a haunting way but rather like they once existed and are no longer; almost like the shed skin of a snake. Once illuminated they come to life even more so, sucking people in to stand in awe at their uniqueness. 

Fundamentals #1: Atmosphere

Fundamentals #2: Beginnings

Fundamentals #3: Soundscapes

Fundamentals #5: Drawing

Fundamentals #6: Liquidity and Form

HOMEmcr: varying exhibitions, from summer until present

Junkyard Golf

Amsterdam: text post and following pictures/video

Temple and Ivy

I recently visited Amsterdam after wanting to go for such a long time. After getting over the initial shock at how much of a disappointment our room was (my bad) we decided to explore. Anyone that’s been knows how confusing the streets can get as every single one looks almost exactly the same! With the help of google maps and getting used to our bearings over the days, we discovered a few nifty places. 

I noticed how a lot of the buildings over there were wonky, almost as if they were falling towards you or reaching to the side. Once home, I did a bit of research on this and discovered that several are simply due to bad foundations but in fact the rest have been done purposefully. My grandma mentioned that during her visit years ago she noticed how items such as furniture are passed through open windows and hooks on the upper floors. This is due to the tall, narrow build and therefore tricky navigation of the interior, explaining why several are leaning forward. 

A few doors down from where we were staying I was drawn to a window display with the words ‘SHIFTING SPACES’. With a belly full of churros and chilly ears from wandering around, I asked Alex if we could take a peak inside. The man said the fee was as much as we were willing to donate, handed us an information leaflet and we were asked to take off our shoes for the experience, reminding me of our Unit X exhibition in the Federation House. The leaflet had four subheadings: 

SPACE; ‘seeking positive change within the current socio-political climate: a resistance with the intention to view global issues from a local and personal perspective.’ ‘Shifting spaces suggests physical and temporal awareness that arises when allowing for a slowed-down, sentiment experience, opening up mental, bodily, public and private spaces.’

SHIFT; ‘throughout the month artists inhabit the space, committing to a sense of community with each other and the visitors through e.g. healing sessions and a series of dance workshops.’ ‘from daily performances and workshops to an enormous mural and video screenings to a teahouse and red dots migrating through the space.’

UNITY; ‘unites the public and over 20 transnational artists, theorists and local activists in the need to bring about change by focussing on global issues’ ‘forging and fostering a network between the participants and visitors.’

ACTION; ‘(re)connect and evoke social transformation based on mutual understanding or mutual lack thereof.’ ‘Can we honour our apparent differences through compassion? Allow for doubt, confusion and mistakes as strengthening forces? And wonder: what does it mean to truly listen and speak with one another?’

I felt inspired and relaxed during/after the visit, and surprisingly I think my art confused boyfriend did too. We watched a video of a woman talk about peace of mind and happiness within yourself and others before wondering around the space to look closer at the other objects. It was mad to think that these artists were living in such an open room with none of the obvious essentials; just some clothes dotted around, a stove and some snazzy bed inventions. It made me think of our last project ‘InDetail’ - how people always presume this idea of normal. Maybe we don’t actually need half of the things we have, or maybe they don’t need to look or function in the way that we are conventionally used to. This is something that as up and coming interior designers we really need to push, to create things unthought of with a meaning behind them.