Signature of Sungchul Hong’s artworks is strings, layers, mirrors and illusion in terms of form, interaction and communication in its substance. Each element has livened up his work in its own way, but they also organically are combined with each other to build a comprehensive meaning network and to suggest new possibility of contemporary art. Therefore, in order to fully understand Hong’s individual exhibition, it would be a good idea to start from correlation with his past works of art.
 
String Tongue I, introduced in 2000, is an interactive art. Sensors mounted on the ceiling recognize visitors’ movement and a man on the screen spits out threads or eat them. Threads and mouth imply communication. Open Me is another interactive video installation. The work responds to noise around it and repeats acts of opening and closing hands according to the pitch. The man on the screen in Please Call Me, exhibited in Media City Seoul, also looks back or moves toward audiences corresponding to the sound. In this way, Hong developed intriguing movements, sound and images to invite proactive participation of audiences.
 
Cube Mirror is more closely related to recent pieces. Strings which are connecting ceiling and floor create a cube and reflect images of audiences just like a mirror. Image is reflected on numerous strings unlike usual one flat screen. The artwork with lenticular shows different images depending on viewing angles. However, Hong’s artwork creates such effect with layers of strings. That image is not plain or flat, but variable and three-dimensional.
 
This exhibition consists of series of ‘String Hand’ and ‘Perceptual Mirror Blinker’. Context of String Hand series is a bit similar with Cube Mirror, but those are not video work. Image of hands are permanently printed on the strings. It contains Hong’s question about the medium of photograph. Photograph shows a static image which captured a certain moment. However, Hong took a photo of hands and printed them out on thin strings instead of flat photo paper. Audiences can enjoy different shapes as they move around the piece. The disassembled and disintegrated figure of hands emits mysterious nuance which seems existing but non-existing.

Time and volume were added into a instantaneous and plane photograph. It is rhythmical and dynamic. ‘Perceptual Mirror Blinker’ is a new series of his work, which consists of finger-sized rectangular LCD units. These LCD units blink on its own by responding to light using its reflectors. They move slowly when it is dark and cloudy, and actively when bright. These units continue to produce random abstract shapes. In some way, they look like digital pixel too. This piece responds to natural light and this can be said as an interaction with nature, which means that his theme of communication is still effective in his works. Hong’s works have unique visual amusement, through which he pursues interaction. This is “artistic communication” Hong Sungchul seeks for.

References

• [리뷰] Perceptual Mirror
  [Review] Perceptual Mirror