Student Media Art Contest

Artwork Introduction | Harmony
-
Harmony is a media art piece that visually and aurally expresses the core themes of balance and unity through the blending of Korea’s tradition and modernity, mythology and technology, and humanity and nature. This artwork reimagines traditional paintings, such as Irworobongdo and Jingyeong (true-view) landscape painting, in a modern context, creating vivid and dynamic scenes in the process. The creatures from Korean traditional mythology, such as goblins, haetae, lions, immortals, dragons, and kylin, appear in strikingly unique forms, expressed through the colors and light of mother-of-pearl, captivating the viewer’s gaze. Particularly, the background of these mythical creatures transitions seamlessly from traditional paintings to the modern landscape of Seoul, symbolizing how tradition remains alive within modern life. The music, harmonizing Korean Samulnori (traditional percussion) with orchestral grandeur, plays a vital role in the storytelling of this artwork. The dynamic rhythms of Samulnori resonate in sync with the movements of the mythical creatures, while the orchestra’s majestic melodies enhance the immersive depth of the narrative. Through this approach, viewers can discover a new sensation where traditional and modern music are beautifully blended together. Harmony bridges the past and present by bringing traditional symbols and mythical beings to life within the modern landscape of Seoul. The final scene, set against the backdrop of Gwanghwamun, Hanyangdoseong (Seoul City Wall), and Namsan Tower, concludes with a kylin causing flowers to bloom as it passes by, representing the moment when traditional values are reinterpreted within the modern cityscape of Seoul. Harmony reimagines Korean traditional art and mythology through modern technology, shedding new light on Seoul’s identity and cultural significance. Traditional paintings and mythical creatures, represented through light and technology, evoke the emotional resonance of traditional aesthetics while offering viewers an artistic experience where tradition and modernity blend. Harmony goes beyond merely replicating tradition as it carries the symbolic value of tradition embodied through modern artistic forms. It is an artistic endeavor to showcase the unique charm of Korean traditional culture. By blending technology and tradition, it aims to inspire viewers and strives to become a pioneering media art piece that elevates the global competitiveness of Korean cultural content.

Artwork Introduction | Connecting Seoul
-
The subway is more than just a means of transportation. It is a passage that connects me to Seoul. It turns fleeting encounters and everyday moments into a landscape, allowing me to paint my own version of the city. I hope that the process of moving along with the light in this artwork becomes a moment for viewers to create another unique landscape of this dynamic metropolis.

Artwork Introduction | Resonance of Seoul: Strange Attractor
-
The vast community of Seoul resembles a fractal structure, characterized by its complexity and diverse patterns. This city, where people of diverse backgrounds and stories are intricately intertwined, symbolically demonstrates that each individual is not merely a part of the system but the whole itself. The artwork Resonance of Seoul: Strange Attractor explores the dynamism and beauty of Seoul, symbolically visualizing the process through which each individual functions as both an independent entity and a harmonious part of the whole within the city. The artwork simulates new possibilities through fractal structures and chaos theory, exploring the interplay between order and chaos. It reflects the artist’s hope that, within this constant harmony, the good in our community will emerge, while the bad will fade away.
This artwork was created using Unreal Engine, with a camera probing the 3D Mandelbrot set structures to capture its visuals. Viewers are invited into the vast fractal structures that symbolize Seoul through large-scale projection-mapped visuals. The artwork transcends mere external observation, inviting viewers to step inside the structure and intuitively grasp the relationship between microscopic movements and macroscopic patterns. The fractal structure continuously generates and dissolves in response to changes in data and parameters, metaphorically symbolizing the way diverse individuals coexist in harmony within the city of Seoul. Each individual possesses independence as a microscopic unit, yet their existence is connected to the essence of the whole. This relationship reveals itself as a mutually complementary and cyclical process.
The artwork particularly emphasizes empty space and its transformation. Empty space does not merely symbolize absence or void but holds the potential for new forms and patterns to emerge. In moments when spaces once filled with three-dimensional structures are unexpectedly emptied through unforeseen sequences, viewers are able to visually experience the process of balance, where intertwined relationships involve mutual compromise and consideration. This empty space is closely connected to the “strange attractor,” a geometric structure that helps a system maintain balance within a limited area, creating complex trajectories. While following consistent rules, it possesses the unique characteristic of never repeating its previous path, continually entering new spaces. In the artwork, the cycles of filling and emptying spaces visually reflect the characteristics of the strange attractor, allowing viewers to symbolically experience the elegant process of creation and dissolution as chaos and order interplay. The artist compares the city of Seoul to a fractal structure, emphasizing that each individual is not merely a part of the whole but exists as the whole itself. The process of discovering positive change and new possibilities within intricate relationships goes beyond the mere functionality of a city, extending to a reflection on the essence and potential of human existence. The artist’s hope for the emergence of the good and the dissolution of the bad is expressed as a message encouraging viewers to recognize both their individuality and harmony through the artwork and foster a society where mutual respect and coexistence can flourish. Resonance of Seoul: Strange Attractor goes beyond offering mere visual pleasure. It is designed to help viewers discover both their individuality and wholeness within the intricate web of relationships and to experience the values of harmony and coexistence. The new patterns and harmony created through the interplay of order and chaos symbolically present a direction for us to pursue in modern society. The artwork guides the audience to realize that their existence is not merely a part of a vast system but a vital element that forms the whole, encouraging them to explore new possibilities within relationships and harmony created together.

Artwork Introduction | <Sun, Moon and Five peaks: Irworobongdo>
-
Irworobongdo (Sun, Moon and Five peaks) features a unique composition in which the sun and moon cohabit the same space. The sun and moon, respectively, symbolize the king and queen, while the five peaks of Obongsan represent the five elements: benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and sincerity. Additionally, they represent the five directions: east, west, south, north, and center. Irworobongdo (Sun, Moon and Five peaks) reflects the authority of the Joseon royal court through the harmony of yin and yang and the representation of the five elements. We aimed to depict the history of the Joseon dynasty by recreating the Irworobongdo (Sun, Moon and Five peaks) folding screen as a live-action 3D visualization using Unreal Engine, set against the backdrop of Gyeongbokgung Palace. By showcasing the sun and moon, the five peaks, the evergreen pine trees, and the endless sea depicted in Irworobongdo (Sun, Moon and Five peaks), we sought to express our wish for peace and prosperity in the new era.

Artwork Introduction | Traces of Eternity: Where Light Stays
-
This artwork combines the grandeur of Gyeonghoeru Pavilion and the symbolism of the Sipjangsaengdo (Ten Symbols of Longevity) to portray a world where nature and humanity coexist in harmony through light and visuals. Gyeonghoeru Pavilion, with its unique structure floating on water, reflects the architectural beauty of the Joseon dynasty and a reverence for nature. The Sipjangsaengdo embodies the artistic essence of the Joseon era, symbolizing longevity and eternity. In the process of creating this work, we sought to weave the profound stories of these two elements into a unified visual narrative. In the opening scene, a door opens to invite the viewer into the world of the Sipjangsaengdo, expressing the vitality of nature through the vibrant movements of forest, deer, and light. The subsequent scene reveals the majestic beauty of Gyeonghoeru Pavilion, where the harmony between nature and humanity unfolds like a poetic tale. This artwork goes beyond merely recreating the legacy of the past. It presents an ideal vision of coexistence, where nature and humanity create together, offering viewers a moment to experience this concept and connect with its message. Through this artwork, which reimagines the history, nature, and philosophical depth of Seoul, we express our desire that the future, too, will be illuminated in harmonious light.