The+Structure+Of+by+Ja+Baak

. HADA Contemporary - Exhibit Embracing the Void 2011-2013 (July 28th)
 * The Structure of **
 * Title: The Structure of
 * Artist(s):Je Baak
 * Date: 2010 (exhibited July 28)
 * Period: Contemporary
 * Country of Origin: Korea (South), Seoul
 * Cultural/Ethnic Affiliation: Korean
 * Medium: Installation, Video
 * Dimensions: (1080p HD, vertically installed, stereo sound)
 * Museum/Collection: Korean Artist Project (KAP), in conjunction with the Korean art Museum Association and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism
 * Accession Number:
 * Current Location and Manner of Display:
 * Provenance: Seoul South Korea

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 * Introduction **

Je Baak centers his works on connections to the spiritualism of Buddhism. The objects or subjects of his work are often meant to prompt the viewer to experience altered perspectives, to find the familiar and make it uncomfortable. In the video piece, the structure of, Je Baak is showing us the beauty of thrill rides, while playing upon the frightening emotions they evoke. We are provided a juxtaposition of fear and pleasure, side by side, not knowing which reigns dominant. According to the SUUM Project, “Je Baak creates figures that generate extreme emotions, the emptiness among them and the endless repetition that changes thrill into pain. They look beautiful yet scary, enjoyable yet painful at the same time.” (SUUM)

Link to artist's website. https://artloftasia.com/artists/je-baak


 * Descriptive Analysis **

The work is a 1080p video that is shown on varying size screens. There are four video’s in this series. The first video is made of three carnival rides. Two of which spin and one is a large chute. Each one consists of round shapes. The composition itself is a triangle using circles. It bounces around the screen from right to left. At some points dipping below the screen before circling back to the right. The sound playing in the background sounds like ambient wind. It is a whooshing noise that creates discomfort. The second video consists of all round shapes again. The structures themselves create a circular composition. All of the circles in this composition are rotating. The structure slowly seems to swoop through the scene. The composition itself looks like a face or monster. The sound in this video is almost a vibration. The third video is much darker than the rest. Its very hard to decipher what is going on or what the shapes are. But from what is most apparent you can see a long arch that seems to have two arms on it. The objects move like they are being rewound with unnatural and uneasy movements. The structure moves counter clockwise and the sound heard in the background is like wind. The fourth structure seems to be the brightest of them all. The structure is similar to a tall diamond. It moves the fastest around the screen and has an element of fireworks in the background of the image. Different areas of the video move at different speeds. The people walking up the ride are moving fast but they are sliding down incredibly slowly. The sound in this video sounds like an ambient siren. The pitch raises up and down at even intervals. The screens work together to create a sense of ordered chaos. The overall view of the shapes form an amoebae like unearthly quality.


 * Formal and Contextual Analysis **

This artwork was created in times of great uncertainty and political unrest. Tensions ran high between North and South Korea as North Korean nuclear proliferation threatens not only South Korea, but the world. Somali pirates were threatening the South Korean cargo ships. Cyber attacks spread a virus to attack financial institutions in the U.S and South Korea.(1).  In the midst of the truly terrible times South Korea balances the horror with entertainment. The Structure of was also created during a time of national pride in several areas. The Korean national baseball team is contender for the 2009 World Baseball Classic and the Korea Republic national football team qualified for their eighth World Cup finals. Zen Buddhism is prominent in the work of Je Baak.(2) He seeks enlightenment in the midst of the black void that surrounds his screen-saver like images of collaged video fairground rides that float through the void in a whirl of fear and excitement The dark ominous tones he uses in the video invoke a sense of unease and suspense using judicial minor chords interspersed with sci-fi like tones. This work has been shown large, in one darkened room as seen above and as smaller rectangles as seen below. It's screen-saver like qualities could also be seen as private meditation facing the void. Being in the presence of the large work would be a different experience than the youtube link we shared. //the structure of// changes with size and presentation. The work is crafted well and allows the images to be the discussion. The low resolution of the second video in particular seems to be a choice. The sounds are crafted so well it allows the camera work to be seen as a style instead of a mistake.

1. AP Press HYUNG-JIN KIM 7/9/09 2. London Korean Links - Embracing the void
 * Formal Analysis Sources**

 Installation view of Embracing the Void at HADA Contemporary


 * Personal Interpretations **

This work is rather all encompassing as it would be viewed on the first image. The sound and movement take the viewer to another place. At first view, what could be happier than a day a fair? The tilting perspectives and the converging rides all end to a sense of unease and claustrophobia that, over time, could be chilling. The humans are tiny and insignificant in relation to the chaos of the landscapes. Helplessness is displayed in the midst of a whirlwind of sound and movement. Awkward movement calls attention to the instability of the elements as even the law of gravity is denied. In the midst of the black void of our existence we still go on bouncing off the boundaries of our limitations and play the games we are given.

I was drawn to Je Baak almost right away, I think in part for his quirkiness, and because it is a sort of surreal, strange piece. A few of the works I found right away of his were similar and I really found my interest peaked. In fact, the notion that this photographic, digitally manipulated video, is so interesting and successful really inspires me to explore similar projects in y own artistic explorations. Interestingly enough as well, I chose to add this artist to a current art unit for my 3d High School Art class. The students really enjoyed the piece and thought that it was pretty cool, which adds to its contemporary stability and overall weight and character in the global art community. There are works that the artist has that do not inspire me as much, but that is fine. I know for a fact that one of the major works I looked at with colleagues was favored by the majority, but I didn’t really enjoy it all that much. I think, as is typical in art, it's about the eye of the viewer, the beholder. For me it was the strange, almost dark and eerie undertones of the work, the audio that created strange ambience and the alien-like forms of the work in such vivid contrast to the blackness of the background really made this a favored work for my collection and to bring to my classroom, as well. (Chris Boudrie, EMU MA VAE Grad Student and High School Digital/Visual Arts Teacher, November 2017)

For me this piece really needs to be viewed in a gallery space. Seeing it on Youtube was interesting but you definitely miss out on a lot of important aspects. This piece really has a special ambiance. It is terrifying and playful at the same time. The bright playful lights and the blackness of the void contrast and really confuse the senses. This is probably the part I find most interesting. I don't think I have any particular attachment to the piece except for the aesthetic of its ambiance. I think for me this piece is relevant because of the idea of the manufactured emotion. I think not only does the piece it self speak to the idea of forcing ourselves to be afraid for the joy of it, but I think it also tells us we are in control of those things. I definitely think the more I learned about this piece the more interesting it became for me.


 * Other Contemporary Korean Artists **

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**Jeongmoon Choi** - //In.Visible//. Light and Thread Installation. Circa 1990. - Korean Artist - Work Above - [|Site Link] - [|Image Link] - This piece dominates its space as an intriguing and immersive installation of light and threads. While her installations are exhibited, viewers are able to weave themselves in and about her work, reacting and experiencing her unique perspective on line and light. Her work connects to Ja Baak's in that they are both contemporary Korean artists, but also in that they are installations utilizing light and bare a modern aesthetic.



**Jeoungeun Lim** - //Traces of Cube// - UV Print, Sandblast, and Mixed Media on Glass and Mirror - March 16, 2005. - Korean Artist - Work Above - [|Site Link] - [|Image Link] - This work was hosted by the same museum for Korean artists. The imagery on the linked site is a pleasure to view, as it lets you zoom in much closer. The work is similar in its play on color and all of the works herein could easily see these works explored in once hall. In addition, as with each work included herein, the artist's work connects to Ja Baak's in that they are both contemporary Korean artists, but also in that they are installations utilizing a modern aesthetic.



**Byung Ho Kim** - //Garden_01//, Aluminum, Steel, Powder Coating, 280 x 750 x 250 inches, 2013. - Korean Artist - Work Above - [|Site Link] - [|Image Link] - [|Alternate View] - This view is close up and in amidst the installation itself. Other images, like the one connected to the image link above, show a different perspective of the installation as a whole. Like the other works viewed, the exploration of color and line allows this piece a place among the other items viewed and artists added herein. In addition, as with each work included herein, the artist's work connects to Ja Baak's in that they are both contemporary Korean artists, but also in that they are installations utilizing a modern aesthetic.

**Siyon Jin** - //Flow 3-4//, Oil on Canvas, 63 ⅘ x 88 ⅕ inches, 2012. - Korean Artist - Work Above - [|Site Link] - [|Image Link] - While this piece appears to be a work of light and color, and in a sense it is, the piece is actually oil on canvas, and and not an installation piece, like the rest. It does, however, in my opinion, fit in with the other works quite well. The artist's work connects to Ja Baak's in that they are both contemporary Korean artists, but also in that they are exploring vibrant color against a black backdrop. Movement of color and light blends this work with others included herein.




 * Tatsuo Miyajima ** - // Untitled Panorama1 //, Mirror and Glass, 2013. - Korean Artist - Work Above - [|Site Link] - [|Image Link] - This piece is half mirror and film installed on a window allowing light to play within the space and add an interesting space for the viewer to explore. Like Ja Baak, this work is an installation piece exploring light within its space, and created with a modern aesthetic, by a South Korean artist.



**Lee Yong Baek** - //Broken Mirror//, Interactive Video, 2011. - Korean Artist - Work Above - [|Site Link] - [|Image Link] - This artist is another digital video artist from South Korea. Like Je Baak, the artist’s work is displayed visually to dominate it’s space and the surrounding area is alive with audio that brings the video to life. The viewer’s reflection is shot, as their self, surroundings, and time explodes and shatters like a bomb. To view this particular work, move the video to 1:30 or 1:43. Like Ja Baak, the artist uses digital imagery and video installation to bring the viewer into the space. Likewise, the artist is using sound that brings the piece and space alive.

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 * References **

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London Korean Links - Embracing the void https://londonkoreanlinks.net/2011/06/15/exhibition-visit-embracing-the-void/

Kim, Dong-Choon. (2014). Contemporary Korean Political Thought in Search of a Post-Eurocentric Approach (Global Encounters: Studies in Comparative Political Theory) by Kang Jung In (Editor, Contributor), Lexington Books, 2014.11.20 ISBN-13: 978-0739181003 ISBN-10: 0739181009.

Kim, S. (2014). Confucian Democracy in East Asia; Theory and Practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Pres. doi:10.1017/CB09781107273672

Jeffries, Ian. (2012) North Korea, 2009-2012: A Guide to Economic and Political Developments. Routledge 0415656443,9780415656443