Earth Harmony: Pyeong Chang Biennale 2013

To prepare for the Winter Olympics in 2018, Pyeong Chang is having a biennale from July 20 to August 30, 2013. As an extension of my Seoul43 project, I was commissioned to do a 1-day community planting project reflecting their theme, Earth Harmony.

Last week, I installed the first half. During the opening of the biennale, participants will be invited to plant seedlings and assemble them on the letters so that both artist and audience form the words of the biennale’s theme, Earth Harmony. After the event, people will be invited to take the plants to bring home, to plant in their gardens, or in any public area where planting is permissible.

I wanted to use a framework similar to Seoul43, where I create a piece that the public is invited to collaborate with to achieve one goal, and then disperse it to their local environment. In Seoul43, I bring a piece of all the mountains for participants to plant with and bring back individually to the mountains, giving them an opportunity to design their own experience.

 

It was a grueling 2-day installation, with me having to mow the mountain with a sickle all my myself in a monsoon. But here I am in taekwondo pants, my American Museum of Natural History sweatshirt that I got as an intern, and my Korean ajusshi barbecue gloves.

It was painful and hilarious at the same time. I’m a bit worse for the wear, but hey, no pneumonia!

Another piece commissioned is an 8-meter-long Mondrian hopscotch board. This is the fourth one I’ve made so far.

 

Visit the Pyeong Chang Biennale website here.