Walking through the lobby of SIGNIEL BUSAN, you will find yourself stopping in front of a magnificent and mysterious pile of stones. This sculpture, which looks as if it were made by stacking meteorites fallen from outer space, is the work of Kim Hee-yong, entitled “Engraving - Energy.” As its title implies, these stones are replete with the energy breathed into them. The gargantuan lumps of black stone, weighing around 100 kilograms each, absorb energy and are transformed into life forms, or the universe, that is being born again. The work is entitled “Engraving” because, whereas energy is usually something that is breathed into, the receptacle this time consists of a solid material. Hence, the energy is described as being engraved. When you look closely at the work, you will see countless spiraling lines on the surface of the black stone, representing the energy being engraved. This is achieved by a type of drawing, in which lines are engraved by hand on the polished black stone. The flow of the spiraling lines symbolizes the interactive process of generation and convergence, as well as folding and unfolding. If you come across this work in SIGNIEL BUSAN, why not take the time to reflect on the work and engrave some energy of your own in your heart?

Artist Kim Hee-Yong finds objects that are invisible to the eye but possessed of a fundamental vitality and live energy, and creates sculptural works imbued with a fresh vitality by engraving or drawing lines that depict the unique energy that such objects radiate. She makes a point of exploring the beginning of life and the universe, and how they fold and unfold. And according to the artist, the essential element that is added or eliminated during such processes is “energy,” or in other words, “spirit (gi).” She tries to express this energy through infinitely spiraling line engravings and the grinding process. The artist says that concentrating during the act of engraving such lines gives her peace of mind. The unassuming mass of black inkstone is imbued with energy as the artist grinds and engraves it, and is reborn as a powerful work of art, akin to cosmic reinvention. Early on, the artist mainly worked with natural stones collected from rivers or mountains, but she later moved on to inkstones in order to make the lines stand out more clearly.