Spectacles often demonstrate control, power and wonder. In the work “Halo”, Kimchi and Chips construct a spectacle that is truly outside of control, arriving in the chaotic gusts of wind and unpredictable weather systems. Ninety-nine robotic mirrors continuously move throughout the day to follow the sun like sunflowers. These mirrors, arrayed across two 5 meter tall towers and one 15 meter long track, each emit a beam of sunlight into a cloud of water mist. The beams are computationally aligned so that together they draw a bright circle in the air. Dependent entirely on the presence of the sun for its completion, the work explores the possibilities and limitations of technology to capture what is out of reach, to harness nature and bring the sun down to earth. Collaborating with the natural fluctuations in the climate, “Halo” appears only for moments when the wind, sun, water, and technology coincide, creating a form which exists between the material and immaterial.
Kimchi and Chips the Seoul-based art collective founded in 2009 by Mimi Son and Elliot Woods, explores the intersection of art, science and philosophy through their ambitious large-scale installations. Their practice is rooted in the recognition that art, science, and philosophy are not distinct disciplines, but rather alternative ways of mapping the same terrain that should be used in tandem. Their series “Drawing in the Air” combines ideas from relativistic physics with the duration-oriented philosophy of Buddhism to investigate the problematics of images in contemporary society. They personally design every technical aspect of their work, including code, electromechanical details, and optical systems, applying their intentions at every level of their work. Kimchi and Chips’ research-based approach has earned them recognition as pioneers in the field of volumetric imagery and advanced 3D projection. Their dedication to open-source practices is evident in the over 200 code libraries they have released online, which have been adopted by other practitioners and integrated into popular creative tools. Their work has won several awards and has been presented at the National Museum of Contemporary Art (MMCA Korea), ZKM Center for Art and Media, Somerset House, Ars Electronica, ACC Gwangju, Zeche Zollverein, SxSW and Resonate Festival, and continues to influence contemporary art and technology.
Curator: Qiu Zhijie © London News Pictures
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