By Gwangju Design Biennale
2019GwangjuDesignBiennale
Human+Community
Public designs which materialize the humanity to a space guiding to urban gardens and exhibits
ReadIt is a humanity concept that extends a human unit to a community unit(humanity). Therefore, it means to be considerate of other beings living in the world surrounding 'I' and coexist. This humanity was materialized to a space that guides to urban gardens and exhibitions naturally through public design. Public design is a design that improves the quality of life and enables cultural communication. Biennale Yard welcomes citizens and visitors as a space where practicality and design communicate with each other based on the public design that realizes public values such as 'Publicity' and 'The relationship with life'.
Symbolic Sculpture curator interviewGwangju Design Biennale
Interview Excerpts from the curator of Symbolic Sculpture, Kanghyun Lee's interview
The symbolic sculpture in the square offers a communal space for communication and empathy where visitors are invited to experience nature. One of the recommended exhibits is to look at the graphic design pieces - that are unlikely to be noticed immediately- placed on the floor and the wall. The pieces give guidance to direct visitors to enjoy the exhibition. Likewise, design is deeply embedded in everyday life improving life of people unconsciously.
I recommend to take a look at ‘Urban Bloom’. It is a type of garden conceptualized to showcase a greenery space with an intention to bring get- away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Redesigned to the Gwangju’s background, the garden is featured by collaboration between AIM Architecture (Shanghai) and Gardenist (Korean based plant-design company). I wish this garden creates open possibilities for people to communicate, play, and relax.
Urban BloomGwangju Design Biennale
The mother nature is special in a sense that it makes us feel alive, and let us return to the joy of our lives. People seek for a garden to be happy with beautifully shaped trees and well organized greenaries. Once there be warm breeze of early summer, a bud sprouts from the bare ground. Soon, the full vitality of green covers the whole scenary. They might bare abundant fruit when the autumn finally arrives. There's a thing in this very process of nature, that can never be passed unobserved. The heart of a gardener. The beauty of a garden is necessarily proportional to the effort of a person who manages it. It's always about the sincere physical conversation between the gardener and the greens when it comes to ‘gardening’. The beads of sweat while tilling the soil, dealing with those farming tools, trimming the brances make our heart somehow resonate.
The curtained wall overviewGwangju Design Biennale
Structures are located in the square, enabling visitors to see, touch, experience firsthand and visitors will acquire totally different experience unlikely to the real world in the work.
The curtained wallGwangju Design Biennale
Mobi_Impression by Sung JangGwangju Design Biennale
A critical difference between art and design is in its objectivity. My work started with an inquiry towards the uncertain mechanism of construction of objective beauty in abstract forms. Assuming that it exists, my questions such as ‘what accounts for the formulation of beauty?’ or ‘is there a rule or pattern which I can rely on?’ has led me to two foundational elements; Elegance and Extravagance.
Unique Mobi works have exhibited in many international venues such as the Armory Show, Design Miami, and is part of the permanent collection at the Art Institute of Chicago. In response to the theme of ‘Humanity’ at the Gwangju Design Biennale, I selected to erect figurative sculptures titled ‘In-Sang’. This word translates to ‘impression’ in general, and often, specifically in regards to one’s facial features. In composing this abstract figurative work, I rely on the audience participation and imagination to fill in the representational limitation that Mobi series embodies.
Symbolic Sculpture - Community Garden
Curator
Kanghyun Lee
Project Manager
Sowon Lee
Artist
AIM Architecture
Sung Jang
SWNA
The Gardenest
Gwangju Design Biennale
Eunji Choi
