Exhibition poster of 《A Vestigial Trace Study》 © Artspace Boan

《A Vestigial Trace Study》 is a record that visually explores spoken language and the bodily mechanisms that produce it, particularly the functioning of articulatory muscles and the diversity of modes of utterance. Different languages are formed and transformed according to the physical structure that produces them, the subtle movements of articulatory organs, and the ways they are stimulated and used. These vary by cultural and regional differences, resulting in distinct pronunciation systems and phonetic characteristics. The uvula regulates airflow and adjusts vocalization, and research suggests that humans are the only species to have developed the uvula to enable fine control of pronunciation.
 
Interestingly, other studies indicate that the absence of the uvula does not significantly impair linguistic activity. This suggests that complex language production depends not solely on physical structure but also on how articulatory muscles are stimulated and used, and on more complex neural mechanisms such as brain networks. The coexistence of these contradictory findings reflects the complexity of language generation. Alongside encountering diverse languages and contemplating pronunciation structures over a long period, the bodily sensation of stimulating different muscular points in the mouth due to variations in pitch became the starting point of this work.
 
Echoes of Reason consists of approximately 80 three-dimensional forms and around 160 unfolded diagrams that become the drawings of the work. Each unfolded diagram metaphorically represents the structure of language and the process of thinking it. Copper (Cu), known for its conductivity and durability, reveals the transmission of voice and continuity of bodily movement. Copper’s surface transforms through oxidation, symbolizing how language is transformed and reconstituted over time within one individual and culture.

The unfolded copper diagrams are placed in space not fully folded, indicating that language is not a fixed system but constantly changing according to utterance and context. Language thinking is not a simple rule-based structure but generates new meaning through variation and combination. The folding and unfolding of the forms—and how even the same structure changes depending on the chosen unfolding point—express that language is not a closed system but one open to interpretive multiplicity.
 
Vibration is central to spoken language. Utterance depends on subtle vibrations in articulatory organs, producing and modulating sound that travels through air and returns as vibration to our eardrums. At the center of each unfolded form is a vibration motor connected to a spring, covered in silicone skin that trembles subtly. Differences in vibration pattern, amplitude, and weight express variations in modes of utterance. The silicone mass symbolically represents the uvula, showing the relationship between pronunciation, vibration, language, and bodily mechanism.
 
《A Vestigial Trace Study》 explores the complex interaction between language and body, addressing both the uvula’s evolutionary significance and findings that it may not be essential. Language is fluid; subtle differences and errors in utterance create peculiar landscapes of momentary events. The unfolded forms, vibration motors, and silicone masses serve as devices to visually examine this interaction. Through this, Wonjin Kim records in space the moment in which differences and errors become read as beauty.

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