korean pavilion: haegue yang at venice art biennale 09

'voice and wind' by haegue yang at korean pavillion,venice 2009
image © designboom

'I imagine metaphorically that I preserve cool air in me as long as I can, until the temperature
difference is so great that water drops collect on the bottle. I would like to transmit things to
others without pouring water out of the bottle. I believe that people can be mobilized by this
condensation, which is a kind of direct reaction, without needing to negotiate specificities.'
-haegue yang

in the exhibition 'condensation', haegue yang explores private or hidden spaces that might be considered
nebensächlich (marginal or insignificant), but to the artist constitute profound backdrops for understanding:
the vulnerable sites where informal development can occur. using the metaphor of condensation,
yang seeks direct communication with unknown people through a seemingly intangible path of
exchange, one that imparts nonfunctional yet ontologically significant information.
eungie joo, keith haring director and curator of education and public programs at the new
museum, new york is the curator of the korean pavilion.


'voice and wind'
image © designboom


'voice and wind'
image © designboom


'voice and wind'
image © designboom

consisting of a labyrinthine system of stacked venetian blinds flooded with natural light, a series of
vulnerable arrangements—voice and wind (2009) evokes shadows of places and experiences not
physically present. here yang uses commercially manufactured venetian blinds in indescribable,
uncategorizable colors and patterns that exist at the edge of taste. these functional decorations
for the home defy rigid concepts of design or periodization to emphasize the nonaesthetics of the
private sphere, where the self is cared for and contemplated, and can be shared in a different way.


'voice and wind'
image © designboom


'voice and wind'
image © designboom


'voice and wind'
courtesy kukje gallery, seoul, korea
photos: pattara chanruechachai


'voice and wind'
image © designboom


'voice and wind'
image © designboom


'voice and wind'
image © designboom

as in previous works, yang introduces electricity as an invisible connection between objects, people,
and ideas. six ventilators placed around the main gallery generate wind at various intervals,
altering both the stability of the blinds as suspended barriers and the movement of visitors.
scent emitters infuse the installation with moments of sensory experience, calling upon the visitors'
subjectivity as a key element in the definition of the space. employing transparency and improvisation
as metaphors for the vulnerability of space and time, yang seeks new possibilities of public engagement.


haegue yang
portrait © designboom