iBuk-Seoul Museum of ArtJunggye-dong, Nowon-gu
Beyond project: Somatic Ground — Small Studio Semi
Woodworking sculptures and geometric installations by Small Studio Semi that engage senses beyond sight, inviting visitors to experience the museum's spaces through their bodies rather than in silence.
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Press your back into a curved wooden speaker and roll, and you get acupressure and music at once. Between two of them stands a third piece in merbau that gives off lemongrass oil while you roll. The scent and the upbeat music reach you before anything else in Lounge 1.
Small Studio Semi, whose name means a small place for working with wood, reworks traditional Korean fine carpentry. All eight works here are new and made of wood, for Buk-Seoul's yearly project that puts art outside the galleries. You walk on an acupressure floor of red oak, walnut and sapelli, balance on a board to steer a steel ball to its target, and drum on two benches that are also cajons. Plenty of Seoul parks have a pebble acupressure path; this one is hardwood and has a soundtrack.
Vogue Korea called the cajon benches a playground for adults. Entry is free, Fridays run to 9pm, and programmes sometimes close the room, including 22 October from 5pm to 6pm.
Look for
Back Rolling Speakers and Scent Disperser
Two curved red-oak speakers flank a merbau diffuser of lemongrass oil, and you lean in and roll your back along them for acupressure with music or scent.
Acupressure Cajon Benches
Boat on Land and Boat on Sea are benches carved with raised and sunken patterns and fitted with snare hardware and drumsticks, so you sit and play them together.
Balance Board: Balance Practice
Step onto the board and shift your weight to steer a steel ball to its target point.
Acupressure Floor: Earth
A floor of red oak, walnut and sapelli whose patterns stand for forms of life, made to be walked on as the ground the whole room centres on.
Good for
- An Hour Or Less
- Cheap Culture
- Evening Visits
- Locals Who've Seen It All
Skip if
You want to look without touching: the works are made to be leaned on, walked on and played.
Also at Buk-Seoul Museum of Art
On now nearby
Image credits
3
- Beyond project: Somatic Ground — Small Studio SemiCourtesy of Buk-Seoul Museum of Art
- Dali · Differently · DaliCourtesy of Hangaram Art Museum
- Buk-Seoul Museum of ArtHyolee2, CC BY-SA 3.0 / GFDL, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0