Creator's Project in Seoul - Highlights

Published on 2012/09/30 | Source

Picking up from my last post about the Creator's Project in Seoul, I'll give a few highlights from my favorite parts of Saturday night.

Exhibitions

The Treachery of Sanctuary by Chris Milk

According to the artist's website, "The Treachery of Sanctuary" is an interactive triptych that is a panoptic narrative interpretation of the universal human experience: birth, death and regeneration. Each panel in the piece represents a step on a journey. It is also the artist's intention to reflect the parallel experience of the artist as he journeys through the creative process.

In the first panel, your shadow appears. A flock of birds gather at the top of the panel. If you reach up, your shadow begins to dissolve into hundreds of small birds that flutter up to join the flock. Your shadow disappears.

In the second panel, the flock of birds above you gets bigger and is scarier. The birds begin to swoop down and attack your shadow! It appears as though they are eating away at you. This goes on until your shadow/body is nearly gone.

On the third panel, your silhouette (thankfully) returns. This is the coolest part – when you swing your arms up and start a flapping motion, your shadow transforms to include a huge pair of wings! You can then control your wings with the movement of your arms.

The technology uses Kinect controllers and infrared sensors. You can learn more about the technical details of how it works here.

Me at the third panel, getting my wings!

#Creators Live by Doug Carmean and Social Print Studio

I tagged the picture above with the hashtag "Creators and it immediately got included in the next project on display: #Creators Live. It's an interactive Instagram feed in Intel Labs and Social Print Studio. It was interesting to see what other visitors were posting to the Instagram feed throughout the event and sharing the experience through photos.

I think they were tinkering around with setting it up when I came across it, but you can find out more about this project and its intentions here.

In the clip, the artist explains, "Philosophers have long said that eyes are windows into the soul. The display is the window into the soul of the computer. One of the things we are trying to do is change the way people look at the computers and experience them".

Levitate by Everyware

Levitate by Everyware is by South Korean couple Hyunwoo Bangn and Yunsil Heo. The Creator's Project website describes Everyware as the project's first new media art group that keeps it all in the family – the duo's fathers-in-law and cousin joined the to make their playful installations, which are inspired from the notion that truly refined technology is indistinguishable from magic.

This inspiration was certainly evident in the piece I saw at the Creator's Project.

As visitors pass by the piece, the center black circles in each of the "pipes" moved up and down, following them.

The video clip below gives a good visual overview of all three of these pieces.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2BYtoGP1mE

The Day of Perpetual Night by Yang Yongliang

This artwork was really neat because its initial looks are deceiving. At first glance, it looks like a traditional Chinese landscape. When you get closer to the painting, you see tons of buildings and city scenes. The big picture is one of nature and the micro picture is metropolitan.

According to the Creator's Project website, Chinese new media artist Yang Yongliang was classically trained in Chinese painting and calligraphy from a very young age but uses digital tools to capture that time-tested aesthetic. Traditional Chinese culture permeates his cutting-edge creative process, using new techniques and software to interpret older forms, like Chinese landscape paintings.

Performances

The performances started from about 4 p.m. There was a small stage and a green, grassy area where the audience could sit and enjoy the show. The space is so unique in that it has nature, history and metropolitan elements all in one. Over the walls of the concert space towered the big buildings that make up the shopping district of Dongdaemun. It was like a private nature enclave in the middle of the bustling city of Seoul. Only a few yards away were artifacts and remnants of ancient Korean culture.

The weather was perfect and the music was diverse; from indie rock bands to trance/house DJs to K-pop group 2NE1 to Korean hip hop artist Drunken Tiger. The performances included several different genres, satisfying even the pickiest music fan.

I particularly enjoyed Nosajthing's live DJ performance, who I first introduced to through this event, and of course, my favorite K-pop group 2NE1.

Overall, it was one of the best events I've been to of late and the perfect combination of art, design, music and technology.

About the author by Donna Choi

Born and raised in the States, I came to Seoul in 2009 and have loved living and working in such a high-tech and connected city ever since. I enjoy collecting unique, cute gadgets/items (I have a bread-scented smartphone case!) and traveling around Korea. My personal mission while living in Korea: Try every type of Korean food known to exist.

- Follow @advancedtechkr Twitter
- https://www.facebook.com/AdvancedTechKOR