The Canvas, the largest all-day dining restaurant in Jeju, features beautiful arched windows as well as an installation by artist Bahk Seon-Ghi, hanging from the ceiling 15 meters high. As the bright Jeju sunlight pours in through the windows, the gold and silver chrome pieces hung from the wires, swirl down in a double spiral, and sparkle dramatically in the sunlight. The natural light and illumination that changes with each passing hour and shifting outside conditions confer an ever-changing quality to the installation, which seems to embody the movement of light. However, the viewer comes to realize that the pieces are not only suspended in air, but that each piece occupies a fixed place in the structure in harmony with others, leading to an appreciation of the work focusing on the dualistic meaning. This installation is without doubt the definitive symbol of LOTTE HOTEL JEJU, with its grand beauty and scintillating reflections reminiscent of an enormous chandelier.

An installation artist and a pioneer of Asian contemporary art, Bahk Seon-Ghi is currently one of the most prominent contemporary artists in Korea. His work takes many forms, from installations featuring materials such as charcoal, stone, or acrylic beads hung from invisible wires, to sculptures that make use of painting techniques and perspective. He earned recognition first in Europe, including Italy, when he was invited as a student to special Arsenale exhibitions in Venice. In 2005, he was named “Artist of the Year” by the Kim Chong Yung Museum, one of the highest honors that can be bestowed on a Korean sculptor. In 2006, he received the Kim Chong Yung Sculpture Award, garnering even more attention. An artist who has consistently ruminated on the themes of past and present, reality and illusion, and how they relate to one another, through his hanging installations that express both Eastern and Western sensibilities, Bahk continues to present his work internationally in critically acclaimed collections.

Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera, Milan
B.A., Department of Sculpture, Chung-Ang University