Untying Space—
The New Children's Museum
To create her site-specific drawings Kwak responds to the physical architecture of her selected location, circulation patterns through the space, and the dynamic created by how people engage with their surroundings. For her work at NCM this is an especially complicated formula because she is creating a mural for a 3-dimensional climbing space. She further enhances the dimensionality of the piece by using hand-torn mass-produced masking tape as her drawing implement. Her process is meditative as she focuses on energy of the space, and also performative almost dance-like as she tears the tape. She describes the drawing as “my interpretation of ‘animalism’,” an exploration of the shifting boundaries between human and animal. And she hopes her drawing will elicit from visitors both a physical and emotional interaction with the space.
About Sun K Kwak
Korean-born artist Sun K. Kwak is best known for designing site-specific works made of masking tape which is directly applied to the walls and structures of the installation space. Her work leads to a study of the environment in which it exists, especially through its labor-intensive installation process. Kwak received her BFA in Painting from Sookmyung University in Korea. In 1997, she earned her MA in Studio Art from New York University and is now based out of New York. Most recently, her work has been shown in a solo exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum of Art entitled Enfolding 280 Hours. She has been featured in additional solo exhibitions at Ch’i Contemporary Fine Art in Brooklyn; the Brain Factory in Seoul; and the Queens Museum of Art in Queens, New York. Kwak has also shown at various group exhibitions such as The 6th Gwangju Biennale in Korea; Sala Alcalá 31 in Madrid; The Bridge Art Fair in London, Chicago and Miami; and The Seoul City Museum.
Question & Answer
Q: If you could become any type of animal, what would you be?
A: The white horse with wings from the Chinese zodiac.
Q: Favorite food?
A: Desserts, especially those with beautiful arrangements.
Q: What do you do regularly to help save the environment?
A: Recycling, walking, and not using chemical products, like hairspray.
Q: Favorite smell?
A: Smells of the rainforest, the ocean breeze, and flowers.
Q: Favorite sound?
A: Summer raindrops, ocean waves, and birds singing in the morning,
Q: What was your first pet?
A: A white dog that I was afraid of!
Q: What’s an unusual and interesting fact about you?
A: I am a very spiritual person.
Q: Favorite game?
A: I don’t like games or competition.
Q: What band or musician best represents you?
A: A combination of classical music, jazz, tango, and bossa nova. Rachmaninoff, Chopin, and Bach.
Q: Do you talk to animals?
A: All the time; it makes me feel so happy. I always say hi to the animals when I’m walking.
Gallery Games
Close-Ups! Play the Sun K. Kwak Picture Game and try to match the artwork to the medium.
Art Inspired Yoga. Move like the flowing mural or stretch as high as it reaches in a mini yoga session for kids and parents.
Climbing Races. Race friends up a rope or the climbing wall. Try to improve your best time!
Question & Answer
Gallery Games
Related Studio Project
Enfolding 280 Hours
Kwak at Brooklyn Museum
Causey Contemporary
