KyoungJae Cho

 

Gently removing the wooden pegs on the work was as if gently opening a door into another world. At this moment, I am reminded of stepping carefully into your SeMA Nanji studio in 2018, with timber stacked and staggered in all different directions. I was not sure at first, but with distance I could see the relationship and fun in their arrangements in space. The work in this “travel suitcase” is rich in your usual interest in fabricating and constructing lines and shapes. The panels are cut at unspecific angles but adhere to one another; the dark brown paint on an irregular polygonal panel reveals a somewhat willful casualness. “Rational cut, sensual strokes” was my initial impression and description of the work. The wooden strips in the suitcase could be combined randomly to support the panel, while flat lines and planes come together to support different three-dimensional shapes, like the works that I have seen on-site at the exhibition, with regular lines and surfaces mounting rich and interesting three-dimensional visions at different angles.

 

The mutual support between line and plane similarly defines my thinking of how artists, curators, institutions, and systems can support and uplift each other. The work and projects that we develop are like lines and planes with no connecting relations, but collaborations not only encourage more expressions and perspectives in exhibition and work, these exhibitions and presentations also feed back into their own context. For example, the project “The Show Must Go On,” which utilizes the concept of a suitcase to send works of art to a curator is an intriguing approach that attempts to break through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also creates other possibilities in allowing the work to be viewed and discussed. One could also say that due to this project, I was able to conduct a residency at SeMA Nanji in 2018 and write about Kyoungjae’s work. The institution and the project promoted the possibility of artists and works being seen, while also fueling my thoughts on curating and collaboration. It is difficult to say what kind of flower will come into bloom, but it is indeed a compelling work, an engaging project, and a chance to meet again. 

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輕輕地拿下作品上的木栓，像是輕輕地開啟一扇展開異世界的門板，此時我想起了2018年小心翼翼地踏進你SeMA Nanji 工作室的情景，近看橫豎方向不一的建築角材交錯疊放，一時還看不出所以然，待一拉開距離，才看出了它們在立體空間裡構組出的關係及趣味。這次”旅行箱“計畫中的作品也充滿了你一貫以來組構線條與形面的興味，面板以沒有特定的角度裁切後相互密合，不規則的多邊形面板上的深咖啡色漆透露了點隨興恣意的姿態。“理性的切裁，感性的筆刷”，是我對這件作品的初步印象及描述。而行李箱裡的幾枝木條可隨意的組合以支撐面板，平面感的線與面兩者相撐組也“玩”出了幾個不同的立體造型，一如我在展覽現場見過的作品，平凡無奇的線與面組合後，在不同的角度轉折中呈現出饒富興味的立體視覺。

 

 

但這個線與面相互支撐的構組關係，有點像是具象化了我對於藝術家與策展人、機構、體制間如何相支持相成就的思考，彼此發展自身的創作或計畫本如沒有交集關係的線面，但合作機會不僅讓展覽、作品有更多表現的可能及展現面向，這些展演呈現又會反饋到自身的脈絡裡，好比這次the Show Must Go On的計畫以旅行箱的概念將作品寄到策展人手上便是個很有趣的作法，不但突破試著COVID19疫情帶來的種種封鎖，也帶出了藝術家的作品可被更細致的觀看及論說的可能性。當然，也因為計畫的緣故，意外地讓我在2018一同在SeMA Nanji駐村後，能書寫KyoungJae的作品。機構及計畫推展了藝術家及作品被看見的可能，計畫和作品助燃了我對策展、合作的思考，最終能開什麼樣的花朵，很難說得精確，但確實是一件有意思的作品、一樁有意思的計畫、一次再度相逢的機會。