Korean language
PAJANGJANGJANG is a duo composed of Sojin Park (School of Visual Arts), JaeHyeong Choi (School of Visual Arts), working based on three-dimensional objects and installations such as ceramics, glass and ironworks. Their aim is to reproduce and expand the motifs from nature. Based on the realization that inspiration or emotion from nature actually comes from certain patterns, principles, and movement of organic structures, they are concentrating on its fluidity and possibility of change.
The motif of the work expands or contracts from natural objects to sound or light waves. While searching for a way to better sense a wavelength, the group discovered that various technologies such as light, sound, video, interactive mapping and coding are suitable for expressing natural patterns or organic movements. They transfer the inspiration from nature to digital and project it back to the material world through a combination with analog objects. They experimented to create synergy by finding a connection point between non-physical digital technology and materially produced formative technology.
PAJANGJANGJANG
In the past, I used materials such as glass, clay, iron, wood, fabric, and paper to recreate nature in my own way. However, as lighting, motors, videos, and other technologies became incorporated into my work, I began to actively explore how these technologies could coexist with traditional sculptural practices. I embarked on projects like mapping videos created using coding onto ceramic works or creating interactive installations using Arduino and sensors. I wanted to use ultrasonic sensors to trigger lights and motors based on the distance from the user, allowing the motors to interact with the curvature of the glass.
The materials I had previously worked with were primarily glass or iron, which are commonly used in three-dimensional sculpture. However, I continued to sense the potential for integrating and merging these materials in the realm of media art and interactivity. Moreover, after taking media-related courses for about a year, including Arduino and Processing, I gained a grasp of what media art is and saw an opportunity to bring these concepts into my work. The Center for Art Convergence's Creation Support Program competition provided me with a chance to fully integrate these ideas into my work.
Work Process
"UNDERWATER GENERATOR" is a project that explores the small imperfections created in glass during the firing process, driven by curiosity about how glass undergoes changes while inside a kiln. When working with a kiln, unexpected flaws can emerge for various reasons. We live in the real world and handle materials, and it's these unexpected dents and imperfections that naturally occur that caught my interest. I believed that by magnifying these dents one by one, we could create intriguing visuals. In this experiment, we focused on one of the many factors we found interesting, which is imperfections. One of the most fascinating aspects of living in the real world is that perfect results, as in the realm of imagination, do not always materialize. For some reason, imperfect results occur due to the nature and unstable conditions of the real world, and I consider these unexpected flaws to be a form of beauty unique to the real world.
We used the play of light and shadow as light passed through material. The medium employed here is slumped glass. Through the process of slumping, various elements were trapped within the glass—bubbles, the heat from the kiln at that time, areas with waves and those that turned white, as well as traces left when the gold engraved in the mold couldn't withstand the heat and cracked. I believed that these elements encapsulated the moments of that time. Light is a presence highly sensitive to even minor interference. For example, light is affected by even the smallest imperfections in a light bulb's cap, resulting in a projected pattern. I wanted to pass this delicate light through the layers of interferences I created. I wished to maximize the world contained within the thin glass panel, which is saturated with these situations. Therefore, I conducted an experiment where small dents on the glass panel used light to project and magnify the imagery.
The reason for creating a wavy shape was that when the motor rotates 180 degrees, three layers can overlap. I set the number of layers to three because up to two layers, each layer can be clearly seen, but from the third layer onwards, it becomes challenging to distinguish between the layers. I also wanted the projected images to vary depending on the viewer's position and conditions. There were countless possibilities for the images to be projected depending on factors such as the motor's range of motion and the color of the light. I believed it wouldn't be fitting for me to arbitrarily choose one image, as it wouldn't align with the intention of imperfect conditions and randomness. While it's impossible to reproduce all possible scenarios, I hoped that everyone who viewed it would leave with their unique experiences. Here, the term "unique experiences" is implemented through an ultrasonic distance sensor. The distance detection sensor controls the lights' color and type based on the distance between the sensor and the viewer. As a result, the landscapes seen through the material will differ for each viewer.
PAJANGJANGJANG (Jaehyung Choi), UNDERWATER GENERATOR
Arduino, Glass, light 140 x 90 x 40 cm 2017
PAJANGJANGJANG (Jaehyung Choi), Your Tidal Flat Experience
tidal flat, glass, light, motor, 80 x 45 x 54 cm, 2017
PAJANGJANGJANG (Sojin Park), SEA SHAKER
metal, mesh, motor, sound, video project(some flow of the sea), 110 x 210 x 30 cm, 2017
PAJANGJANGJANG (Sojin Park), WAVE SEEKER
acrylic, motor, steel, 45 x 45 x 30 cm, 2017
Epilogue
Through this creation support program, I unintentionally moved away from envisioning forms of nature in my work. Instead, I was able to focus more on the structure, movement, and surface details of nature. It was an opportunity to explore new directions and find our own way of investigating nature. My work with "PAJANGJANGJANG" brought me even closer to nature.
For now, I will take a break. I have been channeling the inspiration I find in nature through my work, and it's time to step back a bit from nature. It's been almost a year since we returned from Thailand, where we went together. While I don't necessarily have to go anywhere specific, it might be a good idea to take a break from the routines, whether physically or mentally.