Commissioned by British Council & Korean Foundation
at 2019-Present: Every Day, Meta Art Station, The 14th Gwangju Biennale Sponsorship Exhibition, 7 APR - 9 JUL, 2023
at Daily Rituals; Four Earths, DDP, Seoul, Korea, 18 - 20 NOV, 2022
at Daily Rituals; Four Earths, Coventry University, Coventry, UK, 21 NOV, 2022
at COP27 Conference, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, 14 - 15 NOV, 2022
Hear the Voice of Wind is a visionary exploration of the ancient bond between humanity and nature through the lens of shamanistic tradition in Korea. With an innovative blend of cutting-edge technology and ancient ritual, the project seeks to immerse audiences in a world of ecological harmony and spiritual reverence.
At the heart of the project lies the Jeju Chilmeoridang Yeongdeunggut ritual (designated as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage), a sacred practice that celebrates the wind goddess and offers respect to the natural world. By scanning modern lifestyle waste with 3D technology and placing it alongside the ritual, the project reveals the deep psychological and chemical purifying power of shamanistic practice in a world marked by rampant consumerism.
Jeju Sinheung-ri Radiation Tower No. 2. Photograph by Academy of Korean Studies, Namhae Yoo
2022. Jeju Siheung Beach Bangsa Pagoda 3D scanned data using Reality capture by META Jeju.
Bangsa pagoda of Jeju
The bangsa pagoda is a stone pagoda that can be seen throughout Jeju Island, and is a relic of folk belief built to prevent evil from entering the village. Currently, there are 38 bangsa towers, and 17 of them are designated as folk materials and managed. [1] According to feng shui, it is built in a place where the evil of the village can come in to prevent it. In addition, one bangsa pagoda prays for the well-being of the village and is built by gathering the opinions of the members at the community level. In Hear the Voice of the Wind, the work was produced by utilizing the scan data of Shinheung-ri Bangsa Pagoda No. 2, one of the bangsa pagodas that are designated and managed.
The bangsa pagoda is a stone pagoda that can be seen throughout Jeju Island, and is a relic of folk belief built to prevent evil from entering the village. Currently, there are 38 bangsa towers, and 17 of them are designated as folk materials and managed. [1] According to feng shui, it is built in a place where the evil of the village can come in to prevent it. In addition, one bangsa pagoda prays for the well-being of the village and is built by gathering the opinions of the members at the community level. In Hear the Voice of the Wind, the work was produced by utilizing the scan data of Shinheung-ri Bangsa Pagoda No. 2, one of the bangsa pagodas that are designated and managed.
The virtual space created by the project incorporates the Bangsa Pagoda, a relic of folk belief that wards off evil spirits, and stone towers that dot the Jeju island, offering a multifaceted perspective on the region's natural and spiritual landscape. The point cloud system and VFX graphs weave together audio and visual elements, bringing the ritual and the virtual space to life in a mesmerizing flow that expresses the scattered, gathered, and purified relationship between humanity and nature.
Jeju Chilmeoridang Yeongdeunggut
Jeju Chilmeoridang Yeongdeunggut is Korea's Important Intangible Cultural Property No. 71 and a folk religious ritual registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009 [2]. Jeju, where Yeongdeunggut performed, is the southernmost volcanic island in Korea and has a beautiful but harsh natural environment. Most soil geology in Jeju is volcanic ash soil created by volcanic activity. This geology, which is called floating land in Jeju Island, has a low water holding capacity, making it difficult to farm rice and requires a lot of fertilizer to be used for field farming [3]. Jeju Island's soil has led to the formation of a semi-agricultural, semi-fishing village lifestyle in Jeju, where stable agriculture is difficult, and Jeju's barren natural environment has made Jeju people to have awe and respect for nature. As a result, the people of Jeju Island have performed various rituals for nature. Also Jeju is called as an island of eighteen thousand gods, the land of the gods, and the hometown of the gods [4]. These nicknames show a culture that they worship nature as a god.
In its 2023 version, the project takes an even more daring turn, using brainwave equipment to capture the performer's thoughts and sensations during the Yeongdeunggut. Through neuro-media art, the audience is invited into the shaman's mind, experiencing the deep connection with nature that lies at the heart of the ritual.
Hear the Voice of Wind is a work of art that speaks to the timeless bond between humanity and nature, and the urgent need to rekindle that bond in the face of the environmental crisis that threatens our world.
Hear the Voice of Wind, 2022. Installation view at DDP, Seoul, Korea. Photography by Joeun Lee.
Hear the Voice of Wind, 2022. Metaverse Installation view at Meta Art Station, Gwangju, Korea.
References
[1] https://heritage.unesco.or.kr/제주-칠머리당-영등굿/
[2] Hyun, H. N. (2011). Soil environment, a key to open up Jeju society and culture. Korean Society of Environmental Agriculture: Conference Proceedings, 3-20.
[3] Taehyung Song. (2009). mythology and cultural content. Journal of Human Sciences, 22(), 131-158./ Hyun Yong-jun (2005). Myth of Jeju Island. Seoul: Seomundang, 3p
[4] http://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Contents/Item/E0021704 [Source: Encyclopedia of Korean National Culture (Bangsa Tower)]
Arist Jinjoon Lee
Art Director Sun Kim
3D Scanning / Modeling Yeeun Han
Sound Interaction Sungbaek Kim
Unity Seungmin Lee
Curator Meeyung Chung
Project Manager Bona Lee, Doyo Choi
Grant
UK-Korea Creative Commissions 2022
Support
British Council
Korean Foundation