Yunchul Kim, Installation view of Triaxial Pillars II, “Elliptical Dipole: Visceral Particles and Sorcerous Flows”, 798CUBE, Beijing, 2024. PhotoS – courtesy of 798CUBE ©
Yunchul Kim’s exhibition, “Elliptical Dipole: Visceral Particles and Sorcerous Flows,” at 798CUBE, is a stunning convergence of art and science, blending creative technology with innovative artistic production. This debut in China is Kim’s most extensive presentation to date, showcasing a universe of transmitting that highlights the synergy between cutting-edge art and forward-looking technology.
Exhibition Highlights:
Argos (2022): Inspired by the monolith in “Space Odyssey,” this piece channels cosmic rays to create sounds and lights. The thousand-eyed structure, equipped with a Geiger Muller tube, scans muons, transforming them into a dynamic display of actions and interactions.
Chroma IX (2024): This colossal, knotted ouroboros form brings to life the phenomenon of liquid fluctuation, merging positive and negative energies into an elliptic dipole.
Amorph II (2024): Utilizing hydrogel derived from seaweed, these installations showcase a wondrous spectrum of electromagnetic charges, resonating across the gallery space.
Triaxial II (2017): A liquid furnace that incinerates metal particles and sand, transforming them into a fluid gyre representing cyclicity and open-ended closure.
Strata (2024): This piece explores material verity beyond human perception, revealing unseen pigmentation through excavation and unveiling.
Yunchul Kim, Installation views of CHROMA IX (front) and Argos-the Swollen Suns (back), Elliptical Dipole: Visceral Particles and Sorcerous Flows, 798CUBE, Beijing, 2024.
Yunchul Kim, Installation view of Strata, “Elliptical Dipole: Visceral Particles and Sorcerous Flows”, 798CUBE, Beijing, 2024.
Curatorial Insight:
ZHANG Ga, the curator, describes Kim as an alchemist turned physi-chemical provocateur, blending ancient and ultra-modern elements in his art. Kim employs concepts like pataphysics and transmitting in his intricate laboratory work, transforming rocks, metals, and biological agents into micro-substances and electromagnetic fluids. His work invites viewers to explore the interplay between humanity, technology, and nature through sound, unconventional painting, and kinetic installations.
Artistic Philosophy:
Kim’s art delves into the microphysical and cosmological realms, engaging with both philosophical and scientific dialogues. His pieces, like “La Poussière de Soleils III (Dust of Suns III),” merge the organic with the artificial, creating a dialogue between materiality and perception. Kim’s approach is both pre-scientifically abstruse and post-humanistically amorphous, viewing humans in relation to plants, rocks, and quantum mechanics.
Installation Art:
Remnant Vitrine (2024): A miniature laboratory displaying Kim’s alchemical archive. This installation defies conventional classification, presenting objects alongside the exactitude of materiality, such as measurements beyond the visible and matter’s indeterminacy contingent on various factors.
Impulse: A chandelier of magic resembling a living tree, pulsating with audiovisual spectacle, showcasing the interconnectedness of various elements.
Eluvial Horizon (2024): Particle painting that reveals geological eternity through somatic gestures, representing the trajectories of nature and the epiphany of microscopic rudiments.
Yunchul Kim, Installation view of Impulse, “Elliptical Dipole: Visceral Particles and Sorcerous Flows”, 798CUBE, Beijing, 2024.
Yunchul Kim, Installation view of La Poussière de Soleils II (Dust of Suns II), “Elliptical Dipole: Visceral Particles and Sorcerous Flows”, 798CUBE, Beijing, 2024.
Musical Innovation:
Kim constructs unique musical devices, such as the C-Ray, a chemical reactor-turned synthesizer that amplifies seawater-generated electrical currents into audio signals. This turntable-styled instrument uses a chemically infused “writing pencil” to inscribe onto an aluminium plate, materializing the inaudible into sound.
Experience at 798CUBE:
Visitors are invited to immerse themselves in Kim’s visionary “matterReality” and resonate with cosmic infinity, unravelling the perpetual enigma of polarity within “Elliptical Dipole.” The exhibition highlights 798CUBE’s commitment to exploring the intersections of cutting-edge art and technology, offering a deeply engaging visual and intellectual experience.
This exhibition reflects Kim’s intellectual pursuit and artistic insight, presenting a reality through the actualization of a techno-phenomenological phenomenon. By undoing anthropocentric hubris, Kim creates a space where varied subjectivities coexist, inviting viewers to explore the convergence of cosmology, mineralogy, biology, and geology.
Curated by: Zhang Ga
Presented by: Beijing 798 Culture and Technology Co., Ltd.
Organized by: 798CUBE
Duration: 2024.05.25-2024.10.13
Address: 798CUBE, 798 Art District Creative Square, Chaoyang District, Beijing
