Q. Please introduce yourself.
Hello. I am artist Byoungho KIM. I mainly work on sculptures and installations using metal and media. I studied art in college and studied engineering as a researcher at a national research institute designated by the Ministry of Science and Technology for three years before starting my work in earnest. I see myself as a member of a modern person accustomed to advanced social structures and environments, and instead of traditional drawings, I create my works by using meticulously planned design drawings and a thoroughly specialized production system.
Q. I'm curious about what prompted you to become the creator you are today.
I have thought for a long time that I should look at the world objectively. In order not to be biased to one side, I studied various systems and ideologies, and my approach to beauty also started from the differences in perspectives between the East and the West. After studying art, I naturally studied engineering. That is why I started working based on rational planning rather than emotional creation. Creating works according to such thorough planning suits my personality.
Q. Could you give us a brief introduction to your workspace?
I worked in Seoul for a long time, but three years ago I moved my workspace to a larger space in Seojong-myeon, Yangpyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do. It is located in a mountain 200m above sea level with few people, so it is good for ‘windowing.’ I use it as a space to draw in a quiet atmosphere or to assemble parts processed by several engineers.
Q. Where do you mainly get your inspiration?
Since I was young, I used to quietly observe the surrounding situations and objects. Of course, I still observe a lot now. However, I don’t stop at simply observing the target object. In fact, the act of observation is a conflict between the observer and the object of observation. Therefore, I cannot help but have an attitude of suspicion rather than acceptance. In addition, the object of observation and my memory clash. This is because emotions exist in memories. I transfer these emotions into my work.
Q. It may be difficult to explain in words, but what creative process do you go through when you work?
I sketch my thoughts and proceed with the design based on them. The design process is very important. Design drawings are the language that allows me to communicate with many engineers. They prevent errors that occur when communicating verbally, and they are also a universal language. I think about various things for a long time during the drawing stage, but once the direction is set, I quickly create the design. Through design drawings, I can use the unitized and organized elements of our time as materials. This makes rational production possible through mass production. Once the concept and design of the work is complete, I work with engineers to create parts and start assembling the individual parts. When multiple parts are assembled, they become a module, and these are arranged according to planned rules to complete a single work. So depending on the work, thousands of parts may be needed. Sometimes human labor is involved, and the process of assembling by inserting and turning in the same way hundreds of times is also part of modularization. If we follow the mass production method of the factory based on such accurate design drawings, social systems, customs, and norms are projected into the work, and we can personally practice the approach to rationality that naturally occurred with the progress of civilization.
Q. I’m curious about your work.
Can you give me an example of your recent work?
Among my most recent works is 8 Symmetrical Gardens. It is a geometric composition of eight oval spheres. The four oval spheres on the top are matte black and have rough surfaces like the soil on which the work is installed. They symbolize essence, circles, etc. The four on the bottom are smooth and shiny. They represent artificial objects meticulously processed by human hands. In fact, it is the result of processing rough surfaces into shiny objects over a long period of time using various techniques. In the end, four material civilizations beautifully processed like jewels are located between one rough Earth and four rough objects. The surface repeatedly reflects the surrounding objects, creating a self-intoxicating splendor. The work was originally designed to be installed on soil, but it consists of a large sphere called Earth, four artificially processed oval spheres on top of it, and another oval sphere in its original state before processing. Through geometric arrangements, it shows the coexistence of nature and artificiality, and the rationally well-managed environment of our time.
Q. What did the author want to emphasize most through his work?
Straight lines, planes, and thickness. They show our environment well. There are no absolute straight lines or planes on Earth. This is only possible in mathematical formulas. However, straight lines and planes have become very natural elements for modern humans. In particular, planes have physical thickness. If thickness is explained logically, it is the width between one side and the opposite side that is parallel to it. It means the distance between two parallel planes. If a plane is a mathematical and abstract concept, thickness can be seen as converting the abstract into physical mass. Humans have been making any object into an efficient plane for a long time. As mass production became possible through the Industrial Revolution, the production of metals, wood, etc. in a flat and standardized form accelerated. These materials released from the factory become materials for creating living spaces and cover our surroundings. It seems that we take them for granted as our environment, just like we do not doubt the existence of air. I am not criticizing this environment. I also feel comfortable and live in a clean environment provided by straight lines and planes. However, as an artist, I only question the current environment that will remain in future memories.
Q. I'm curious about what you're satisfied with and what you're dissatisfied with in your recent work.
The physical binding method of the work needs to be more solid, but there are still many loopholes. There are various approaches to creating works of art. Just as there was a time when ready-made was presented as an alternative to art, I go through a process of ready-made (化) when creating works. In other words, I approach the work with the idea of creating a 'product'. There is a special reason for this. It is because the binding method, like that of home appliances, is important when assembling multiple parts closely. Connecting materials tightly and combining them into one means that the mass-produced parts function rationally. This represents the material world that is becoming increasingly divided and standardized through mass production, while at the same time, it means that the structure of the real world functionally intervenes in the work. In addition, the product that has been assembled can perform the function that was originally planned. It helps us think about the function of art.
Q. Can I ask you about how you usually spend your daily life?
Half of the week I spend in my studio. Since it is located in the mountains, I really enjoy the quietness of not having anyone pass by or visit. The other half is spent on production-related work. I draw blueprints with designers, and visit factories that produce each part to check schedules and production processes. Since most of my partner factories are located in the Gyeonggi area, such as Namdong National Industrial Complex, Sihwa National Industrial Complex, and Banwol National Industrial Complex, I often drive there.
Q. What are you most interested in these days?
I am interested in what we remember and how we remember. Memories include not only personal memories of individuals, but also memories created by groups and communities over a long period of time. Among the numerous memories of such groups, society, institutions, rules, and norms are my main research subjects. These memories also mean situations where we are accustomed to empirical comfort and repeat them without filtering. In other words, we can say that we are currently accepting the memories of the community without question, as if we are under a spell, seduced by the behavioral patterns and ways of thinking that have been passed down from our ancestors. I am observing this aspect of us.
Q. How does your attitude towards life reflect in your work?
Actually, I was really surprised by this question. Many of my works are about attitudes toward life. For example, the ‹The 19 Gods›, which was first presented in Shanghai, China in 2018, is a work that expresses our attitudes toward the way of life that has been passed down from our ancestors for a long time. It consists of 19 objects of the same shape and size, and they represent not just simple objects, but creations of civilization that have become so large that we use the term god. We want to reach the highest value and peak that we recognize in our individual lives in various ways. In that sense, the work remembers the absolute being that we can blindly follow and the image of ourselves who created it.
Q. How do you overcome a slump?
I am a very indifferent person. It's not that I don't have slumps, but I'm so dull that I don't know what they are. There are times when I'm active, whether mentally or physically, and times when I'm depressed. I develop my thoughts and create works according to that rhythm. The flow and ups and downs of emotions are also part of life.
Q. What is the most realistic problem you've encountered recently?
It's a question of 'ownership or existence?' Living in a capitalist society, I've accumulated a lot of personal possessions. Starting with various works of art, cell phones, cars, clothes, mechanical equipment, airline miles, etc... But the problem of owning a real estate called a studio is right in front of me. Even though it's relatively cheaper than Seoul because it's in the countryside, I still have to deal with the bank for a considerable amount. I started to worry about whether I should choose a possessive lifestyle or not.
Q. Could you tell us about the attitude and philosophy of a creator that you consider important?
Most contemporary artists receive formal art education and enter the art world. They enter the art scene already familiar with many things, such as formative practice, the qualities that artists should have, and studying the art market. Of course, I did the same. I think that artists desperately need a thorough sense of professionalism. An artist’s sense of professionalism is not a finished product, but a process. I believe that the goal of an artist is not to create good work, but to think well, which is the attitude that an artist should have. I think that everything that naturally comes out of this process of thinking—drawings, objects, experimental samples, etc.—becomes a work of art.
Q. Do you have any tips or tricks to share with other creators who want to continue doing what they love?
Many people ask me, “How can you consistently create new works?” I always answer, “It’s very easy. Thinking is my job!” I think the basic attribute of an artist’s job is thinking. If you think and observe all day, you can discover various and wonderful things. Of course, you can’t just do nothing and think. I think that all kinds of art have value because different generations live in different ways and think in their own ways.
Q. What kind of creator do you want people to remember you as?
I would like to be remembered as a strategic artist who utilizes the entire system of modern society. Rather than as an individual artist named 'Byoungho KIM'. In order to actually realize my ideas into works, I have to collaborate with many people, including planners, designers, engineers, architects, and structural designers. The artist is just one of those members. After all, the system of our time creates works.