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| Koo Jeong-a's fluorescent skate park 'Resonance' is installed at PKM Gallery in Seoul. Courtesy of the artist and PKM Gallery |
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Koo Jeong-a's solo exhibition "2020" at the PKM Gallery presents a form of "dual existence." With the lights on, there are yellowish white monochrome paintings. When the lights are turned off every 15 minutes, luminous stars emerge on the screens.
Titled "Seven Stars," the glow-in-the-dark painting series reminds viewers of stars in the sky, taking them to an illusion of three-dimensional outer space in the dark.
"The series evokes the notion of a parallel universe as it appears differently in the light and dark with its infinite presence defined by the condition and duration of the projected light," the curator of the exhibit said.
This exhibit marks the second solo exhibition of the internationally renowned artist in Korea, following "ajeongkoo" at the Artsonje Center in 2017.
Koo transforms familiar space into whimsical, imaginative art.
"Since the late 1990s, with a belief that nothing is merely ordinary, Koo has been incorporating ephemeral everyday objects into her works to whimsically interfere in familiar spaces and highlight the poetic aspect of the mundaneness," the curator said.
Her subtle exploration of the physical and psychological interaction between the artwork and viewers is also presented in her magnet sculpture series. Titled in numbers of historically significant dates such as "88," "518," "625" and "911," the number indicates the number of magnets in each sculpture, but the shape can vary depending on the location of the installation.
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| 'Seven Stars' by Koo Jeong-a / Courtesy of the artist and PKM Gallery |
Out in the garden is a curved skate park, which also glows in the dark, titled "Resonance." The artist emphasizes its "publicness," allowing people to come and meet here, instead of looking at their smartphone screens at home.
Since Koo uses phosphorescent pigments, the light the skate park emits varies depending on the natural light of the day.
"The light is different every night, depending on whether it rains or is cloudy. Even moonlight affects the phosphorescence, resulting in different lights under a crescent or full moon," Koo explained.
The skate park, painted with phosphorescent pigment, strikes different chords in the presence and absence of daylight and the gallery shifted its opening hours to noon-9 p.m. for visitors to enjoy the nighttime view.
"Both an artwork and a facility open to skateboarders, the skate park installation will provide an interactive experience as it bridges between a subculture ― skateboarding ― and mainstream culture ― fine arts," the curator said.
This is a smaller version of Koo's signature glow-in-the-dark skate parks to fit the gallery's garden.
The outdoor installation debuted in 2012 at Ile de Vassiviere in France as an attempt to attract younger audiences to come visit the island. Since then, the fluorescent skate park has been installed at international events such as the Triennale Milano and the Liverpool Biennial, garnering attention from visitors.
"When it was installed at the Sao Paulo Art Biennial, I received letters petitioning for the skate park to remain after the biennial closed," Koo said.
The exhibit runs through Nov. 28.
