Duality of shell
Daehyung Lee (CEO, Hzone)

Surface, skin, or shell always calls for close attention. Shortcomings need to be masked and shining surfaces need to be polished for a brighter shine. That’s what I learned and how I lived. However, people often neglect the fact that the shell is both a cover that hides the inside and a window that shows the inside. A shell is similar to a frame in that it reveals and hides at the same time. Depending on how something is placed in a frame, what is covered and what is concealed, its interpretation can vary. The ultimate question boils down to “what to expose”, not the substance. A shell is both a wall and a window, and a frame that opens up opportunities for a new interpretation. Choi Soo-Whan makes a hole in this shell.

Choi’s work resembles the duality of a shell in that it splits space into two but connects them at the same time. The shape reveals itself only when the inner space interacts with the outer space. The shape does not dominate the space with its physical weight. The light - the source of the shape - already existed in the inner space and its image and pattern are determined by the location and number of the small holes. The ray of light emitted through the countless fine holes interconnects to reveal a subtle yet sensual shape - a shape unpredictable in nature or in geometric decoration. An aura is created from an architectural structure in an exquisite combination of proportion and symmetry. Sensation and shape made possible only through the conscious fight against mannerism and the commitment for meticulously weaving a structure. The spectators encounter pure shape and pure sensation.

The shell is given thickness. It is an intended thickness by which the amount of light emitted through the small holes bored vertically using an electric drill varies depending on the viewing angle. The dramatic effect created by the thickness of the shell gives sculptural values of wide-ranging categories from the material lump to the non-material image of light. This is why the artist’s work that stared from a minimal square-shaped frame seems to overcome the physical limits of a frame. This is not possible when spectators simply observe and appreciate a decorative pattern whit fine finish. This is the escape of a hidden space covered by a thick black shell. All Choi Soo-Whan did was to drill small holes.