Illusion
Herzog & de Meuron <ST International HQ and SONGEUN Art Space>
, Dan Flavin <Untitled>
Herzog
& de Meuron, ST International HQ and SONGEUN Art Space, Seoul (South
Korea), 2016-2021
© SONGEUN Art and Cultural Foundation and the Artist / Jihyun Jung
The missing part of its triangular section evokes a sense of intrigue, making me contemplate the missing space and contributing to a mysterious atmosphere within its wall. The Songeun Art Space building, which functions as both the foundation's headquarters and a public cultural space, has a distinctive shape that is the result of sectional restrictions for daylight protection to the north, ensuring sunlight exposure to the nearby residential area. The character of the center is embodied by its triangular shape, accentuated by minimal windows on the facade, while the triangular windows exaggerate the structural elegance of the entire building. Imagining the eliminated part, it leads to my visual environment and the back of the building, how the light will reach the residences behind.
Dan
Flavin, Untitled (to Barnett Newman) one, United States, 1971
©
Stephen Flavin
Upon entering the room where Dan Flavin’s Untitled is displayed, I was momentarily transported into a realm of fantasy, feeling as if another space lay beyond the door, despite my awareness of being in the museum. This effect is achieved through the interplay of fluorescent lights in two different hues, where the mix of blue and red creates a mysterious purple glow, illuminating the shadows in the corners of the wall and creating the illusion of mist beyond the work. Yellow fluorescent lights shining in the opposite direction create a boundary between me and the mysterious space. The adjacent wall is integrated into the sculpture, partially disappearing through the artwork, adding a mystical atmosphere to the room.
Utilizing environmental factors such as legal restrictions or the boundaries of adjacent walls, their works intentionally removes certain physical elements, thereby revitalizing the environment. They create a mysterious and enigmatic atmosphere within the space.