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| Artist and architect Han Won-suk's 'Rebirth' recreates the shape of the Cheomseongdae Observatory from the Silla period with headlights of scrapped cars. Courtesy of the artist |
Cheomseongdae-shaped installation ignites controversy
By Kwon Mee-yoo
The familiar cylindrical shape of the Cheomseongdae Observatory, reimagined with recycled headlights from scrapped cars by artist and architect Han Won-suk, popped up in the heart of Seoul.
Located on the rooftop of the Seoul Hall of Urbanism and Architecture near Seoul City Hall, Han's installation "Rebirth" attracts people's eyes in diverse ways. Some appreciate the unexpected appearance of a large-scale artwork in downtown, while others complain how it blocks the view of the Seoul Anglican Cathedral, contrasting the architectural intention of the Seoul Hall of Urbanism & Architecture.
"It is something I have to put up with as a creator. If it goes well with everything, it is design, not art. Some like my work and some don't and I appreciate both of them," Han said during an interview with The Korea Times. "Art critic Choi Tae-man once wrote that my 'Rebirth' is 'stupid,' but I like his critique. Though some media reported that my work blocks the view of the Seoul Anglican Cathedral, the priest said he likes my artistic attempt."
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| Artist and architect Han Won-suk |
This is not the first time for the Cheomseongdae-shaped artwork to be installed in downtown Seoul. In fact, the piece's birthplace is the Cheonggye Stream as it was first revealed at a festival commemorating the first anniversary of the restoration of the stream back in 2006.
"I applied for a public art program and was invited to the festival at Cheonggye Stream as how I had given a new life to discarded headlights could be related to the restoration of the stream," Han explained.
The installation was purchased by Hana Financial Group and displayed in front of its Euljiro headquarters for a while, before being moved to the banking company's training institute. Hana Financial Group later donated the piece to Suncheon City, which found a new home for "Rebirth" in the Suncheon Bay Nature Reserve.
"I set a condition that I must be contacted ahead of moving or repairing the installation, but I found out that 'Rebirth' was moved around several times in Suncheon without notifying me. So I asked to take it back and was able to receive it finally after it did not sell at auction. It is unusual for an artist to retrieve a gifted artwork, but I wanted it to be treated properly," Han said.
As he was about to have an exhibition in Seoul, Han offered the institution to exhibit "Rebirth" and that is how this Silla period observatory-shaped artwork found its way back to Seoul.
"It shows how difficult it is for trash to become art. However, it also offers us hope through its eventful life. Its journey resembles my life in a way, I think," Han said.
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| Han Won-suk's 'Self-portrait' made from cigarette butts Courtesy of the artist |
The main exhibition is titled "re:relationship" as Han unravels how he reconciled with the society and his bumpy life through art. The exhibition is divided into three themes ― Waste, Rebirth and Reconciled.
"I ran away from home when I was in high school and had to eke out a living by myself. I defined myself as waste from materialism and commercialism. That's where my affection for 'waste' began," Han said.
One of Han's first artistic experiments was using cigarette butts as a medium, in a nod to his own "crappiness."
"That is why I decided to include my self-portraits made of my cigarette butts for this exhibit," he said.
"Gwaneum," which consists of paper branches with speakers and yarns connecting them, is inspired by paper cup phones from childhood.
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Han Won-suk's "re:relationship" exhibition at the Seoul Hall Of Urbanism & Architecture
Another section gives a peek into Han's architectural side, including the Olympic Festival Park for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games and NEMO and Book Park in Blue Square, Seoul.
"I was an architect by day and artist by night. I worked at construction sites … and that led me to the world of architecture. I am ousted from the architectural circle for being an artist and from the art world for being an architect," Han said.
However, his two occupations make up for each other as he creates large-scale installations as an artist and colorful, artistic buildings as an architect.
The exhibition, which was scheduled to open in February was delayed to June. However, due to the extended social distancing measures, the venue remains closed.
"This COVID-19 era is the right moment to reestablish your relationships. You can make calls to an old friend instead of watching YouTube videos all day," Han said. "This is the moment when you need art, and love."
