Korean language

Suyeon Hwang

Suyeon Hwang is an artist who specializes in media art using virtual reality (VR), along with her work in plane photography and performance art. She also has a substantial background in contributing to various films and dramas as a late-stage worker.

Her journey as a media artist began serendipitously when she crossed paths with the media artist Jeffrey Shaw. This encounter led her to change the direction of her life and embrace a career as a media artist. With her unique approach and the use of VR, Suyeon Hwang aims to showcase new forms of media art.

Suyeon Hwang, Collaboration of Ideas, 5600 X 2800 pixels, VR, 5min, 2018

Collaboration of Ideas

The VR video 'Collaboration of Ideas' aims to create an ultra-realistic space rendered with such precision that it becomes almost painful to the eyes. Within this space, the intention is to visualize abstract concepts through imagery. 'Collaboration of Ideas' is divided into five scenes.The first scene presents a surreal setting with the sea and a forest as a backdrop, with water flowing beneath your feet. The path is blocked by the sea in the front and the forest at the back, and there's no apparent exit in this peculiar space. The two bridges that should be there are nowhere to be seen, and the flowing water transforms the space into a timeless dimension.The second scene is an unknown stairwell space. In the empty space between the handrails, one experiences the illusion of floating in the air while gazing at the dust particles suspended in the void.The third scene is a restroom, a familiar space with the sudden disorientation of a faucet that may or may not have been turned on, and the occasional paper towel fluttering into thin air.The fourth scene features a moving walkway in a subway transfer area. A pedestrian who just passed by reappears walking from the opposite side. Looking back, you can still see the pedestrian's figure.The final scene returns to the initial setting, with the appearance of a rocky island rising above the sea. This bizarre landscape concludes the experience.Within the VR, one person visually encounters an ultra-realistic space, yet there is also a perceptual gap between the senses and the experience. These actions, which defy the accumulated human experiences, lead to unexpected emotions. Furthermore, these emotions interact with reason, hoping to leave behind some conceptual or abstract notion in each individual.

Initial Work Plan

In a previous conversation with Jeffrey Shaw, he mentioned that "experiential experience is art in itself." This means that the way an experience is felt should be considered art more than the message of the work. This concept became an important guideline for my work. In this project, I aimed to create an experiential encounter for the audience within the artwork, focusing on both visible and invisible elements, things that appear touchable, and things that do not. I wanted this experience to lead to conceptual thinking. With this project, I intended to experiment in the following ways:

1) Is it possible to create an ultra-realistic space using real images?

2) How much can the audience be immersed without a story, solely through images?

3) Acquiring data related to stitching, considering the use of a moving VR camera in the future.

Work Process

To create surreal spaces that evoke an experiential experience, I used a number of technical processes, mainly based on optical photorealistic sources. My work consists of the following processes:
1) Idea and live action filming2) Stitching and modification of shot images - vertical and horizontal reshaping, nodal position adjustment3) Image compositing on the worked images - layer work, 2D compositing, particle compositing, etc4) Editing and color correction5) Sound work6) Verification of proper VR implementation in the media playback tool

Suyeon Hwang, Collaboration of Ideas, Live action(Okinawa), 2018

Location Shooting for this project took place at Korea National University of Arts (Scenes 2 and 3), Sindang subway station moving walkway (Scene 4), and Okinawa (Scenes 1 and 5). Several spaces within Korea National University of Arts had unique characteristics that made them suitable for this project, especially those spaces bathed in morning and late afternoon sunlight, which appeared particularly mystical. The Sindang subway station moving walkway was secured for this project through the Seoul Film Commission, although it required a reasonable location fee.

In the initial project plan, Scenes 1 and 5 were intended to be produced as VR Mandala animations, with the goal of creating a device for entering and exiting the VR space. However, the plan was changed during the production, and real shooting was conducted. The continuous concern that the already-shot spaces and the animation might clash with each other led to the decision to find a natural but surreal image, rather than an artificial space created through animation. Eventually, Okinawa was chosen as the final shooting location. If you had seen the shooting location in broad daylight, it might not have seemed as mysterious. However, the unique forms of its ecology were unseen in Korea, and the final result, composed of these elements, gave a sense of surrealism.

Collaboration of Ideas, stitching and image synthesis process (Okinawa), 2018

Collaboration of Ideas, stitching and image synthesis process (K-arts, School of Fine Art), 2018

Collaboration of Ideas, color correction, 2018

Creating a surrealistic space through real shooting involves extensive editing and correction work, which consumes a significant amount of time. The most crucial aspect was to ensure that any awkwardness due to technical limitations shouldn't arise in the implementation of live action shooting. Specifically, distorting straight artificial or natural objects within a concrete 360-degree space and placing them in the correct positions was a challenging task. Especially, the creation of linear shapes, such as the moving walkway, transitioning from near to far from the vanishing point, presented a significant technical challenge.

Epilogue

This project has been a valuable experience in many ways. The most significant takeaway is the sense of accomplishment, regardless of whether the end result was perfect or not. There were many temptations to give up along the way. In retrospect, it's something that inevitably happens between the initial idea and its execution. Presenting the final result to the public allowed me to meet many people, whose advice and encouragement became a tremendous source of strength. If I had given up, no one would have known. Additionally, monitoring the immediate reactions of viewers to the artwork in the exhibition venue was an invaluable experience that I would have missed if I had given up halfway.However, there are also some things that I've learned to let go. First, I must acknowledge and overcome my tendency to procrastinate, which often comes back to haunt me. I believe I should develop a more consistent work routine. Second, when conducting shoots that require external permits, it's crucial to understand the necessary procedures beforehand. Assuming that everything will go smoothly, as in previous experiences, led to hasty decisions when the responsibility shifted to an outsourced team. Finally, what I regret the most is the attempt to save money during the project, which directly affected the final outcome. I had to give up renting the equipment I initially planned to use because of the expenses related to shooting in the subway transfer area. Looking back at the artwork, that's the most regrettable aspect. When you have the resources, it's crucial to spend them wisely. I'm determined to try again.I'm currently exploring ways to bring to life over a dozen ideas that are swirling around in my head. The most critical aspect, in my opinion, is to enhance the quality of the imagery through significant equipment upgrades. At the moment of writing this, I've already made substantial equipment improvements. I'm planning to re-implement the same content with vastly improved quality. I believe that's when the project will truly be complete and serve as a new beginning. I'm committed to continuing my work, leveraging the aesthetics offered by photography and technology through VR.

Suyeon Hwang, Collaboration of Ideas(Screening Day), 5600 X 2800 pixels, VR, 5min, 2018

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