Sculpture & Installation
A Humble Trawling
Site-specific installation at Ice Follies 2016, a biennial festival of contemporary and community engaged art on frozen lake Nipissing.
A Humble Trawling is curated by soJin Chun and presented by Gallery 44 (Toronto, ON).
(Text by soJin Chun)
For A Humble Trawling, Jihee Min intervenes a giant fishing net referencing the controversies of the fishing industry and the negative environmental impact caused when humans take natural resources for economic gain. Through a laborious process, the artist translates a photographic image onto the net by sewing by hand a grayscale image of hands. Each square of the net translates into a pixel to form an image, referencing digital photography.
The image drawn onto the net is of two hands coming together to create a cup inside the palms. This hand gesture is a very instinctive way of accepting water, suggesting openness to receive nature gracefully.
This installation gives homage to Mother Nature reminding viewers to protect what is visible on the surface as well as what is at the core of the earth. While water supplies diminish around the world, threatening human’s existence, industries continue to pollute our waterways to satisfy human greed.
During the course of the festival, the net is exposed to unpredictable weather conditions and is expected catch snow and ice to transform with the elements of nature.
Do Not Enter If It Makes Tears
Medium: Site-specific design made into Street Signs as part of the Stree Talk Project.
The project is consisted of seven artist-designed aluminum street signs that were installed within the streetscape of Kensington Market, aiming to raise awareness on the issues of street harassment and sexual violence in Toronto's public spaces.
The design Do Not Enter If It Makes Tears empowers the vulnerable vagina, attempting to say “No” to violence against women and trans persons.
“Tears” in Do Not Enter If It Makes Tears can be read as tears from weeping or tears from ripping. The circle on the upper part of the sign represents clitoris and urethra, as well as an eye that watches the public. This is to instill a sense of respect for women and trans persons, giving the vagina a power to stare at the people. The design also bears a shape of a bop-bag that keeps coming back up no matter how much it has been stroke.
Circle (Montreal Edition)
Medium: Colour-coated Nails, Hammer, Wall
Size:10' x 10'
A durational installation that develops throughout the exhibition period with audience participation.
Through the repeated act of pounding, the work intends to break the absurdity of racial representations and colour labeling of visual and cultural differences. The countless number of nails forming a colourful circle of unity represents a hope for the ideal multiculturalism we can achieve when we co-exist.
Three Steps of Being Together (Wood Version)
Medium: Digital Print, Wood, Domestic Hardware
Size: Wood Blocks: 4.5"x6.75"x3"(closed) 4.5"x18"x1"(opened), Print on wall: 12"x18"
Three sets of photo-blocks that open and close by the viewers.
Once Upon Camellia Blossoms
To raise awareness on the growing tendency of fetishizing Asian females in the North American media, artist was on display with 12-meter long fabric wig and 104 exaggerated silky camellia blossoms.
Viewers were invited to fold origami flowers after the pattern on the wall. Folding papers were provided with images of commercials on which sexualized Asian females are apparent.
A & LYZ
Medium: Fabric, Air, Vinyl, 3D Print of the Artist (rapid prototyping)
Size:13' x 5' x 6'
A small-scale 3D reproduction of the artist sits on one of the four air-filled alphabet pillows that spell out LAZY. The erected sculptures deflate over the exhibition period, leaving the tiny sculptural artist collaps on its side.
Bow? Bow!
Medium: digital print, panel, holograms (videograms)
The work consists of two motion picture holograms and a panel on which artist’s printed portrait is pasted on.
As stereograms contain a moment of movement in a two-dimensional plane, this work represents a play of dimensionality.
Although photographs flatten out images, artist’s printed picture stands up as a sculptural object holding two glass plates, which project moving three-dimensional holographic images. Both plates contain artist’s gesture of curtsy yet in different costumes. First figure, in ballerina’s tutu, shows Western gesture of curtsy. The second figure represents Eastern gesture as known as 90 degree bowing movement.
These two animations require viewers’ indirect interaction. In order to view the first hologram, viewers make a left-right movement in a specific angle. In the case of the second hologram, viewers not only make a left-right movement, but they also have to bend their back to see the figure bow in the virtual space of the plate. As audiences are attracted by the moving moment of three-dimensional images in holographic plates, artist hopes they discover the infinite possibility of representations in this playful assembly of dimensionality.
Hope
Medium: Steel, Paint, Wall
This work was shown in many different versions. The original version is shown in the picture below.
The Annunciation
Medium: posters
Gestures are repeated after Virgin Mary in famous paintings and sculptures of Annunciation series.
These posters were installed on the wall of an abandoned theater in downtown Florence. (Special thanks to Eun Woo Cho for capturing the enactment)
Platonic
Medium: Video Projection, Hologram
Viewers encounter a large-scale female figure holding a basket in which a set of fish appear and dissapear depending on viewing angle. (Special thanks to Arah Cho for posing for video)