An escape from a prison wall made up of pixels

Artist Hong Seung-hye, who is known for her work based on pixels, the basic unit of the computer screen, presents new artworks, breaking from the rectangular boundary, in her solo exhibition, “Over the Layers II,” which will take place at Kukje Gallery. “I changed my tool from Photoshop to Adobe Illustrator. This marks a breakaway from a rectangular prison made out of pixels in 20 years,” Hong told reporters.

In exhibition halls 1 and 3 of Kukje Gallery Seoul, artworks such as murals, sculptures, sound, and lighting will be displayed. In Hall 1, two-dimensional works are installed that illustrate the process of the artist learning the Illustrator to acquire a new geometric language. Self-portrait sculpture “Hongdangmu (carrot),” a three-dimensional object of a flat image, and “Modern Times,” an artwork illustrating the artist’s affection for machines, are among the works installed in Hall 1.

In Hall 3, designed with the concept of a ballroom, music created by the artist is played in the background, and human-shaped sculptures made of pixels display dance-like movements. Lighting illuminates the floor, and colorful flower artworks decorate the space. The space conveys an entirely different atmosphere when it is not lit by the sunlight. To show this effect, the gallery opens until 8 p.m. every Wednesday. The exhibition is on until March 19 and is free of charge.


Min Kim kimmin@donga.com