World-renowned artist Ik-Joong Kang will select 1000 sentences from around the world for the Hangeul Wall Project he is creating for the New York Korean Cultural Center. Many famous Korean artists are also participating, writing their life philosophies, mottos, and favorite things in Hangeul with a single sentence for the project, which will be exhibited at the NY Korean Cultural Center in September.
I conducted an insightful interview with artist Ik-Joong Kang about the Hangeul Wall project, which will continue to accept applications until the end of May, and if you also want to participate in the Hangeul Wall Project, you can submit your application online.
This interview with artist Ik-Joong Kang took place in writing on May 5th, and I would also like to extend my thanks to the Korean Cultural Center New York for their contributions to this interview…
Could you briefly introduce yourself please?
I'm Ik-Joong Kang, a visual artist born in Cheongju, raised in Seoul, and currently residing and working in New York since 1984.
After living in Korea, you moved to the US. How did your cultural experiences and changes during this process reflect in your art life?
Before I moved to New York City, I didn't know much about this city. I only had a few pictures of it in my head from watching American TV shows like Kojak and a few more shows I can't recall the names of.
Unlike many of my Korean friends who may have experienced culture shock, I didn't feel it as intensely upon arriving in New York. Growing up in Itaewon, Seoul, near the US army base and international market, exposed me to a level of diversity similar to the 7 train in the subway of New York. Therefore, meeting foreigners and encountering English signage didn't unsettle me.
Although many aspects of the Itaewon area felt similar, there were enough differences, such as the more than a hundred-year-old bridge, the sound of sirens from passing fire trucks, and the narrow streets flanked by skyscrapers, to evoke a sense of curiosity. At that time, I didn't quite understand that curiosity was the primary driver of creativity, and being in a different environment from where I originated broadened my perspective on self-awareness.
A few years ago, one of my friends visited New York from Korea and took photos of places or objects that I hadn't noticed despite living here for decades. It made me realize that I was slowly losing my curiosity and enthusiasm for the city. I thought that maintaining the perspective of a visitor, seeing everything through fresh eyes, was something I couldn't afford to lose.
Instead of working on a large canvas, you create a small canvas with 3 X 3-inch square canvases. How did you start working on 3 X 3-inch square canvases?
My main reason for coming to New York was to attend the graduate art program at Pratt Institute. But after paying the first semester's tuition, I found myself unable to support myself financially. My first job was working at a Korean deli as a night-time worker for 12 hours, which did not provide enough income for survival as a full-time student. I needed to take on a couple more jobs to sustain my life in New York. Balancing work and studies led me to explore new ways of drawing and painting.
Less than a year after arriving in New York, I created a small canvas that I could carry in my pocket. Its small size allowed me to paint, draw, and even sew on the train, bus, and even while walking. I hoped that one day I could transfer these images onto larger canvases when I could afford it. I told everyone that the 3-inch size was inspired by the distance between my two eyes, and I typically worked on my paintings by holding the canvas in my palm, as if reading my mind. But now I can confess that the idea for the small canvas first came to me while I was sitting on a toilet, looking at the toilet paper hanging.
How did your 'Hangeul Wall Project' come about, and why did you focus on Hangeul in this project, as you did in your previous global projects?
I've been using Hangeul as a medium for my artwork for quite some time, ever since my son was about three years old. I've thought about an easy way to explain Hangeul, like using different colors for each part, such as red for vowels and yellow for consonants.
Modern Hangeul consists of 14 consonants and 10 vowels. When these consonants and vowels combine together, they create sounds.
The moon jar is frequently likened to Hangeul because, like the moon jar, Hangeul achieves unity and togetherness. Crafted from soft white clay, the moon jar is assembled by joining separately made bottom and top halves, which are then fired in the kiln. Similarly, two distinct elements converge to create a unified entity: one generates sounds and communicates, while the other contains and encompasses things.
Many participants from around the world are sending you their interest in Korean culture, dreams, ideas, and mottos under the theme "Things I Love to Talk About" with a single sentence. How did you determine the theme of your project, and how does it feel to create a wall where the love and interest of so many people in Korean culture converge?
It's truly remarkable to witness the immense enthusiasm and interest in K-pop, K-drama, and K-movies in my generation. However, it's crucial to acknowledge that these represent only a fraction of the broader Korean cultural spectrum. Without understanding the underlying essence of Korean culture and its main spirit, we miss out on a significant aspect.
On Jeju Island, the southernmost part of Korea, there is a shaman called Chilsung Mudang, who is devoted to the Chilsung gods. She conducts a gut ceremony using just one bottle of Chilsung Cider, which is equivalent to 7 Up in the US. For a shaman who sees herself as a part of the universe and the universe as part of her, formalities and procedures hold little importance.
Nam June Paik, a pioneer of video art, once compared his art to Bibimbap, Korean mixed rice. The ingredients for bibimbap vary depending on the person making it and the season. With well-fermented gochujang in a bowl of rice, Bibimbap becomes delicious, regardless of what it's paired with.
The power inherent in our culture lies precisely in its flexibility, adaptability, and embracing nature. These characteristics are embodied in Hangeul.
If someone were to ask me about the theme of this Hangeul wall project, I would describe it as a bowl of Bibimbap, because the ingredients are from everywhere, beyond time. I will name it an electronic Bibimbap.
Can you talk about the creation and preparation process of your project? What kind of process will begin for you after receiving applications?
After logging in to our website, www.hangeul.org, you can write things you love to talk about, personalize text and background colors following specific guidelines, and save your creations to share with friends worldwide. Chosen submissions will be printed, with each letter mounted on a 3x3 inch wooden block using glue. Once dried, a layer of liquid plastic will be applied on each individual block for long-lasting preservation.
It will be the world's largest and most colorful Hangeul Wall. What will be its exact size and how many squares are planned to be?
Upon entering the new Korean Cultural Center in New York, you'll encounter a massive five-story wall measuring approximately 23 meters in height and 8 meters in width. Adorning this wall will be 25,000 wooden Hangeul blocks, generously contributed by 1,000 individuals. While the majority will be selected via a vote on our Hangeul Wall website, contributions from artists and influencers will also be featured.
A Hangeul Wall consisting of 1000 sentences. From afar, it's a grand piece of art, but up close, it reveals the sentences and ideas of many individuals who created it with their love for Korean culture. How did you decide to collaborate with people in your projects?
In 2001, I did a crowd-sourcing project called "Amazed World" for the lobby of the United Nations building, gathering children's drawings from around the world. We dispatched envelopes and letters to various organizations such as schools, hospitals, and community centers.
Now, with smartphones being so prevalent, we've transitioned to digital submissions, eliminating the need for physical methods. This electronic approach has significantly expanded our outreach. Upon launching our website, we promptly began gathering people’s thoughts and ideas.
My hope is that it serves as an initial step in engaging with the public and is recognized in the future as a pivotal effort in uniting the global community through art. Unlike most walls that divide us, the wall we're creating is one that connects and embraces us.
Can you provide information about the exhibition date of the wall? Also, will this wall continue to be exhibited permanently at the Korean Cultural Center NY?
The Hangeul wall is set to be revealed to the public in mid-September 2024. However, I cannot guarantee with absolute certainty that it will remain there permanently, despite our commitment to preserving it as a tribute to Hangeul for years to come. My hope is that this project preserves a form of cultural heritage for future generations, resembling a time capsule.
What would you like to say to those who have participated and will participate in this project?
I believe that life is like a journey on a train. We all meet, part ways, and board and leave the train—whether it's with old friends, parents, or even beloved pets. Each person has a unique ticket, so even if we meet in Seoul, one might be heading to Buenos Aires while another goes to Cairo.
Today, we gather at the platform of the train station, the Korean Cultural Center New York. Each of us holds a ticket named "Hangeul" in our hands. This ticket holds a magical power to unite and mend a world torn apart by conflicts, hostility, and greed.
As long as we journey together on this train, as a global family supporting and caring for one another, everything will be fine.
Can you write a sentence for our Korea.net readers?
우리는 바람으로 섞이고 땅으로 이어져 있다.
We are mixed with wind and connected by land.
You can join the Hangeul Wall project by clicking this link: http://www.hangeulwall.org/en
How about this article?
- Like11
- Support1
- Amazing5
- Sad0
- Curious0
- Insightful1