Suh Do-Ho's latest challenge
Suh Do-Ho has worked predominantly as an installation artist. One
of his more recent works, an outside sculpture, was exhibited close
to the Metro Tech Center in Brooklyn, New York. This work, specifically
made as a part of a regional public art project, was exhibited from
October 1998 to May 1999.
A statueless plinth is held up by numerous little figures. This ironical
and revealing work questions the historical role played by sculptures
and monuments in the representation of symbolic power and dignity.
Social themes are common in this artist's work. Suh consistently questions
the relationship of society and the individual and draws attention
to the problem of identity.
The new video installation "SIGHT-SEEING" at ICC continues
this theme. This his first video work, is a fine piece documenting
personal reactions to experiences of Japan as a visitor from Korea.
The sequences in " SIGHT-SEEING " were shot on a two way
video camera system developed specifically for the work. While one
camera records the "object" of his attention, the second
simultaneously records his, the "subject's", reaction to
what he sees. These images are synchronized and projected on two adjacent
screens in the gallery.
Naturally, the viewer's attention is first drawn to the "object"
screen on which appear stereotypical images of a trip in Japan and
Japanese food such as one might expect to see in a tourist's home
video. It shows what occurred on the trip or tells the story of it.
However, in viewing these scenes while observing the artist's reactions
to them one realizes the context has changed as has the meaning. As
the result of seeing both the "object" and "subject"
projections together, the work takes on a further dimension, involving
the viewer more than simply as an observer of the scenes.
Viewers cannot remain just viewers-they are forced to become personally
involved in Suh's experiences. To those caught in this situation,
this is no longer a tourist video; this is an entirely new game with
a set of rules they are unfamiliar with. Recognition of the necessity
of the third player in this game to complete the work is I feel the
focal point of "SIGHT-SEEING".
Whereas the "SIGHT-SEEING" is a work offering us an opportunity
to discover ourselves as a subject, "UNI-FACE" conceals
individual identity to the extend of anonymity. In this video originally
made as a screen saver for a computer, different faces have been laid
one over another to create an unknown individual. Mixing of individual
faces builds up an image of an non-existing individual. It is also
possible to see that this work hints at the anxiety and fear we feel
in today's electronic information society.
Suh's conceptual and critical works maintain the perfect balance of
message and means. Media art tends to be so dazzling and flashy that
the art content can seem secondary to the means. Though ICC is seen
as a center of media art, all kinds of art are equally welcome here.
Communication, I believe, is what ICC searches for.
Takuo Komatsuzaki
Senior Curator, NTT InterCommunication Center
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May 29th(Tue.) - Jun.13th(Sun.), 1999 [Finished]
Gallery D
Artist's Talk