One of the most active and talented Korean digital media artists in today’s international art scene, Yiyun Kang is recognised for her immersive audio-visual installations that recast space with moving image and sound.
As one of the Makers in the Jaeger-LeCoultre Made of Makers program, she has created an immersive video sculpture that responds to the brand’s Reverso timepiece, which, launched in 1931, has become a classic of 20th-century design.
Originally created to withstand the rigours of polo matches, its sleek, Art Deco lines and distinctive reversible case make it one of the most immediately recognisable watches of all time.
Some of the pivotal elements of Reverso’s design Art Deco and the Golden Ratio (one of the most common mathematical ratios in nature).
“Rather than focusing on the decorative element of the Golden ratio, I aimed to translate the origin of the Golden ratio which is reflected in nature’s pattern of life and connect it to the fundamental beauty of Reverso,” says Kang.
Here, she answers some more questions about her work of art for Jaeger-LeCoultre: “Origin: A 3D Video Sculpture”.
Q: How do you see the link between nature and digital work?
“I think nature has always been the greatest source of inspiration for artists. In my case, my major concern is more focused on the relationship between nature and humanity in the age of Anthropocene, and I weave my thoughts through digital languages. I do this because digital is the technology that runs our time, as well as the language that connects the world.”
Q. Do the large formats you work on have an impact on their perception?
“A lot. That is the reason why I love to create large-scale, site-based work. As they are able to wander through the installation, viewers are physically immersed in the work of art. Large-scale installation outside of the white-cube turns ordinary into extraordinary. I believe the sensorial perception and immersive experiences eventually lead the audience to think about the message behind the work.”
Q. What is the importance of sensations, perceptions, emotions in your work?
“Sensations, perceptions, and emotions are very important in my work because that is how I invite the audience into my work. I want them to sense and experience it first, and then think about it.
I hope my works make you feel, move your mind, and finally reach your cognitive system. I like to use the term, ‘thought-provoking experience’ because it connotes everything; perception, emotion, sensing, perceiving and thinking. I wish my work to be thought-provoking.”
Q. Before your collaboration with Jaeger-LeCoultre, was the notion of Golden Ratio something familiar to you?
“Yes. What I found interesting is the Golden ratio patterns found in the plants. The leaves and petals in some plants follow the sequence of Fibonacci numbers. It seems to me that the natural system organically implements the phi for progress. I see the Golden ratio as the pattern for evolution and pursuit of an ideal.”
Q. What elements of nature / landscapes inspire you the most?
“Nature’s growth, cycle and its recovery are genuinely inspiring. In nature, everything is profoundly related. Everything has a causal relation to everything else, and we are part of it. It is so important to mind that we are just one of the entities in this ecosystem. That is the reason why I continue talking about these issues.”
Watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre is hosting an immersive experience Sydney from 10-19 May enabling visitors to immerse themselves in the world of watchmaking craftsmanship and design.
“Reverso Stories” takes visitors on a journey to discover the history, craftsmanship, innovation and design behind the Reverso models, and includes rarely seen archive timepieces, modern-day High Jewellery and miniature-painted models to highlights of the current collection, along with the world’s first wristwatch with four functioning faces, the Reverso Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185 ‘Quadriptyque’.
The “Reverso Stories” experience will be staged in Martin Place, in the heart of Sydney’s CBD, from 10–19 May 2024.
