< BYR : Prime Elements > Press Release

May 13, 2020 – June 27, 2020

Jay Jongho Kim (Independent Curator, Private Art Consultant)

This exhibit is composed of three major parts.

On the wall to the left of the gallery entrance is ‘Schemata Chart,’ the artist’s drawing that reflects her points of view on world and art. Installed on the front wall are 33 (of 99 in the series) selected BYR units, and on the right and farther inside are five pieces of BYR_OS which exhibit the extensibility of BYR : Prime Elements.‘Schemata Chart’ is a schematic of a human’s  perception of all ‘things’ that exist in the world and of an artist’s responsive perspective. The artist’s perspective and attitude toward the world are revealed through a firm concept and the use of clear terminology in this chart.

Exhibition view of “BYR: Prime Elements,” 2020, UARTSPACE, Seoul, Korea

One such instance of the clear use of the artist’s own terminology is ‘것'(‘GUHT’) which appears on the top left part of the chart; ‘것'(‘GUHT’) connotes all things that exist but elude human recognition or language. Furthermore, the perspective on the universe as a single organic matter is well-communicated through the concept of ‘Holon.’ In ‘Schemata Chart,’ which was specially drawn as a mural for the exhibit, the artist’s alter ego R.D.(Revolutionary Debris) makes the entrance to guide us so that we both get a glimpse into the mechanism behind BYR Prime Elements and also become filled with excitement over the expectation of the Artist’s future works.

Kim Heejo's IN-STATION SCHEMATA CHART, 2020. Courtesy of the artist.

’BYR : Prime Elements’ are composed of Blue, Yellow, and Red, each with 33 units, totaling 99.

Each unit is circular with 18 inch (45.72cm) diameter and 1 inch (2.54 cm) thickness, and has an axis in the center that allows a 360 degrees rotation.

‘Blue’ is composed of 33 units based on a ‘square.’ Starting from the four vertices of a square, many shapes are built through elimination, expansion, and combination with circular form to express all extant states of mind and material.

‘Yellow’ is built on the motif of a circle-inscribed equilateral triangle and combined with 33 geometric shapes. The purpose of these units is to present the harmonious structure, repetition, and rhythm of the universe that exists outside of the human realm, as well as an analytical approach to the topic.

‘Red’ consists of 33 units that each begin with a point. Linear and nonlinear curves are used in harmonious combination with a point, expressing physical phenomena and conversions of
energies such as gravity, movement of energy, orbit, and light that originate in nature .

Main image of Kim Heejo's solo exhibition "BYR PRIME ELEMENTS" at UARTSPACE in Seoul from May 13 – June 27, 2020.

Thus created 99 BYR units spawn dynamic equilibria by way of change, balance, and unification through chemical bonds or physical union, and each unit performs the utmost important role of the formative elements that reveal the experiences of the artist’s mind and body on a moment by moment basis through her life.

As such, BYR Prime Elements are not a finished object of a singular art form; rather, they constitute an organic body that divulges ‘spontaneous awareness’ or ‘capture of a fleeting moment’ of the natural flow of the world that metamorphoses and expands unremittingly.

Exhibition view of “BYR: Prime Elements,” 2020, UARTSPACE, Seoul, Korea

BYR_OS series is an amalgamation composed of three units selected from each of ‘Blue’, ‘Yellow,’ and ‘Red’ that combine identical or different colors into one composition that shows us the interaction between, and the expansion thereof, the concept ‘Organic Schemata’ and BYR Prime Elements.

Especially the five BYR_OS pieces exhibited in this show demonstrate the early stages of ‘Schematic Medium’ through the application of the ‘Schemata,’ the conceptual system established by combining the artist’s unique methods and the traditional painting form, and through ‘recontextualization.’

‘Schematic Medium’ is at once the artist’s final art form to combine into a single concept and system all formats of visual arts including painting, sculpture, drawing, object, et cetera, and holds meaning as the comprehensive finished form that colinearizes Heejo Kim’s life with her art.