Do-Ho Suh

I have a special fondness for art that speaks in the language of architecture, or somehow challenges you or touches you, in the same way, or perhaps even scale, as architecture. To me architecture can absolutely be a multi sensory experience, and certain artists (and architects, of course) really take that concept to some very strange and beautiful places. One I have come across several places lately is this guy: the Korean artist, Do-Ho Suh.

He is an artist who works in several different media, but I will show you some of his 'Fabric architecture' pieces, as he himself calls them. They are just beyond belief stunning and impressive, and I will be keeping up with his activities, because I would just love to see one of these installations in real life! I love the way he makes the interrelated spaces look almost like a living organism, and the way he so elegantly demonstrates that the feeling of such things as 'room' or 'ceiling' has very little to do with actual solid walls.

The work above is from a show called Perfect Home at 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa, Japan, 2012-13 (photo: Taegsu Jeon). He explains this fascination with houses, rooms, homes and collapsible spaces in his art, with the impact immigrating from Korea to USA had on him, and the way he lives today as an internationally acclaimed artist; dividing his time between Seoul, New York and the rest of the art loving world, having a home both everywhere and nowhere. As he puts it; what we call 'home' could be just infinitely transportable.

Here are some more images from Perfect Home:

(these two photos are courtesy of the artist and Lehmann Maupin Gallery, New York and Hong Kong)

Next are some images from an installation called Staircase III, at Tate Modern in 2010. You could also see a little video about this particular work. (the two photos below I have not been able to credit)

If you should happen to be anywhere near Seoul these days, you can actually see the last work I will show you here - it is part of a show called Home Within Home at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, in Seoul until May 11, 2014. (the last photos: copyright MMCA, Seoul, Korea).

(do you see the house inside the house....?)