SooA Kim: Looking Outwards-1

“Light Barrier Third Edition” is a multimedia light installation work from Kimchi and Chips, a studio based in Seoul founded by artists, Mimi Son (KR) and Elliot Woods (EN). This installation is an ongoing developmental series since 2014, the latest edition has been presented in Asian Cultural Centre, Gwangju, South Korea in 2016. 

The work consists of projection beams, concave mirrors, haze, and some scanning/interactive coding work to animate lights. This work requires precise calculation between the projection beams and the structure of concave mirrors to create a volumetric images or “light sculpture” through haze. They use materialized physical objects to create a non-materialistic object, light. It is interesting because we normally see and use light as a source of material to support our physical objects within space, however; Kimchi and Chips used it the other way around – having light as the object of imagery, shown as a geometric floating objects in this installation. 

Their art practices have been inspired by the values from the Impressionist movement in the 19th century and the first introduction to photography. Presenting their work as “viewerless images” as they focus on the visible brush strokes and emphasize on the depiction of light, rather than the contextual subjectivity of the work. I have been fascinated by their works and the use of their mediums, which consists of video projection, light, and coding in 3d softwares to create digital light installation art.

Light Barrier Third Edition [2016] (4K) from Mimi Son on Vimeo.