Sayart.net - Michael Joo’s Soft Skills and Underground Whispers Delves into Hidden Networks and Perception

Kukje Gallery in Seoul is proud to present Soft Skills and Underground Whispers, the latest solo exhibition by renowned artist Michael Joo. Running from August 30 to November 3, 2024, this marks Joo's second solo show at the gallery since 2017. Known for his exploration of the intersections between art, science, and belief, Joo engages viewers with a complex yet subtle installation that delves into perception, identity, and the hidden networks of influence that shape our reality.

The title Soft Skills and Underground Whispers reflects the thematic focus of the exhibition. Joo uses this poetic phrase to allude to the unseen forces and connections operating beneath the surface of daily life. These "soft skills" represent intangible abilities and relationships, guiding subtle influences that shape the world in ways that often go unnoticed. The exhibition challenges the viewer to reconsider how the invisible informs the visible and how the whispers of the subconscious can redefine the experience of perception.

Upon entering the gallery, visitors are greeted by the Revider series, a striking set of works constructed from acrylic and dichroic glass. The materials play with light and color, shifting their appearance depending on the viewer’s perspective. Through these kaleidoscopic surfaces, Joo creates a visual field that encourages dynamic engagement, inviting viewers to move and adjust their gaze.

The objects suspended within the transparent surfaces of the Revider works, such as the carbonized reishi mushrooms in Revider for Ganoderms (Yeongjiboseot 1, 3) (2024), reveal intricate connections between art, ecology, and science. The carbonized mushrooms, produced through a traditional charcoal-making process, symbolize the invisible underground networks that connect life forms within ecosystems.

Another standout work in the exhibition is Revider with Carbon Doppelganger (2024), a piece featuring a sculpted volcanic rock intertwined with a transparent acrylic panel. The rock, created from a mixture of carbon dust, graphite, and charcoal, was formed using advanced robotic carving technology. This blend of natural materials and cutting-edge techniques blurs the line between the natural and the artificial, symbolizing the merging of different realms and periods. The rock also draws on site-specific samples collected during Joo’s 2018 REAL DMZ PROJECT, referencing the complex history of Korea’s Demilitarized Zone.

In Untitled (after LBB) (2024), Joo pays homage to the influential “glass easels” of architect Lina Bo Bardi. These structures, designed to display artworks in an open, unobstructed manner, inspired Joo’s approach to presenting works that blur the boundaries between interior and exterior space. The glass surfaces, coupled with Joo’s reflective and metalized paintings such as Barcelona (2017) and The Vagueness Argument (2017), create a dynamic interplay of light, color, and materiality. These works, part of Joo’s ongoing silvered epoxy series, merge photography and printmaking techniques, capturing the textures of remote and contested landscapes.

Further into the exhibition, the Cosms (Catalunya 1, 2, 5, 7) series (2016–2024) investigates themes of archaeology, geology, and identity. The carved alabaster blocks in these works resemble ancient geological formations, encouraging the viewer to consider the deep time and layered histories embedded in the earth. The shimmering surfaces of the alabaster, placed on dichroic glass plates, create a sense of connection between the physical and the metaphysical.

In a more personal turn, the works EP Cascade (2024) and Mediator (redux) (2024) explore Joo’s familial history and connections to nature. EP Cascade, an AI-modified image derived from electrophoresis, pays tribute to Joo’s mother, a plant physiologist and expert in molecular separation techniques.

The visual form of the work, inspired by waterfalls, echoes childhood memories while symbolizing the transmission of genetic and personal histories. Meanwhile, Mediator (redux) incorporates a family heirloom, a quilt draped over a symbolic form, evoking the complex intertwining of personal memory, generational history, and cultural identity.

Michael Joo’s Soft Skills and Underground Whispers challenges viewers to engage with the subtle forces that shape perception and identity by connecting the past and present, the visible and the invisible, and the physical and metaphysical. His use of innovative materials and techniques highlights the invisible networks that underpin our world, making this exhibition a profound reflection on the intersections of art, science, and personal experience.

Sayart / Maria Kim, sayart2022@gmail.com