Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo (hereafter, Espace Tokyo) in Tokyo's Omotesando district is hosting a solo exhibition by Korean artist Min-Jeong Seo, which began on September 13th. Titled "IN SITU-1," this exhibition, the first of its kind at the venue, is presented in an atelier format, showcasing the artist's creative process from scratch. It's an exciting experience, allowing visitors to experience Seo's creative process up close and personal. Although the exhibition has been open for about a month, some visitors have returned multiple times. A preview was held on October 10th to view the ongoing work. The exhibition began with the creation of blueprints using CAD. Now, a diverse array of scaffolding, tools, exhaust vents, H-beams made of white Styrofoam, and a model of the finished product create a immersive atmosphere of the exhibition and production process. She has presented works that explore the concepts of time and the transience of life. In the 2013 Aichi Triennale, she participated in "Sum In a Point of Time - III," an explosion of the underground detention cell at the Nagoya City Archives. The work depicts the moment when something was first constructed, then destroyed, scattering fragments as if in an explosion. This installation is part of a series of works. So, what will she "explode"? "Until now, I've focused on real, historical objects with strong narratives. But this time, I'm creating a building frame of my own imagination and then destroying it. I did this because the buildings visible from Espace Tokyo felt like they were nothing but walls, and thus unreal. I thought it would be better to use a message that questions existence. For example, after disasters or wars, building columns and steel frames remain. These are proof of existence," explains Seo. By destroying something that was once constructed, she hopes to eliminate the boundary between the opposing phenomena of destruction and creation. "I'm often asked, 'When will it be finished?' but it's difficult to say when it is. Destroying is also an act of creation, and the key point is how to destroy it beautifully. I think it will be complete when it is dismantled at the end of the exhibition. So for me, completion is, in a sense, the act of moving towards '0.'"
She has been commuting to Espace Tokyo every day from noon to 8pm to create the piece (which will recreate the explosion). Completion is scheduled for November 28th. The venue has a printer that can print photos taken with a smartphone, so it might be interesting to record the ever-changing space day by day.
Similar projects are also underway at Espace Louis Vuitton in Paris and Munich by Andrea Bowers and Simryn Gill, respectively.
【Event Information】
"IN SITU-1"
Venue: Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo
Address: 7th floor, Louis Vuitton Omotesando Building, 5-7-5 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Dates: September 13th to January 4th, 2015
Time: 12:00 to 20:00
Closed: Irregularly
Admission is free
