The Bottari and the Native Aspect of the Asian Culture - Research Paper Example

KIMSOOJA UNFOLDING; VANCOUVER ART GALLERY Kimsooja unfolding is an exhibition of works from the artist Kimsooja. The exhibition which is presented at the Vancouver Art Gallery aimed at displaying the works of the artist Kimsooja progressively over the over thirty years of her carrier. Although she was born in Korea, Kimsooja is mostly based in New York and Paris (Augaitis, 2005). The exhibition, which is co-organized by the Vancouver Arts gallery and Diana Augaitis, shows the journey of Kimsooja from her infamous Bottari to more contemporary artistic styles that she has adopted in the recent years. The famous Bottari, who catapulted her works to the international scene and limelight, uses fabric as the main material for her work. The organization of the exhibition includes the exhibition of the retrospective works and highlights of works of Kimsooja. All the works of Kimsooja revolve around, photography installation, performance, video and object based sculpture. In all these modes of presenting her art, Kimsooja targets to address several issues that affect and pose as a challenge to the society. Her works normally question gender issues, issues affecting culture, issues concerning poverty and issues targeting global migration. The organization of the Vancouver Arts Gallery aims at giving people the chance to digest the art being displayed by Kimsooja on their own. It also opens the viewer’s minds to observe everyday activities from a three-dimension perspective. The everyday activities such as doing laundry and sewing are what she uses to create performance pieces. Her art also seeks to expose the viewers to a much deeper reflection of the human condition. The human condition involves maters to do with relationships, companionships not excluding mortality and birth. At the organization of the Kimsooja unfolding, all categories of the works of Kimsooja were put in perspective. In the use of portraits and photographs to depict messages, Kimsooja selects specific environments and places herself strategically in the photos. ‘A Needle Woman’ portrays a perfect example of her motion-photographic work. A needle is perceived as an instrument that brings pain when it encounters the body and skin through piercing. However, the needle is also used as a symbol of continuity. It enables the continuity of the fabric by joining the fabric together using a thread as the intermediary. The fabric, the needle and the thread can all be used symbolically to depict the day-to-day occurrence in a meaningful way. The work of art depicted by Kimsooja in these pieces normally show a woman (Kimsooja), standing still in the streets amidst trickling traffic. Sometimes she is swallowed up in the human traffic but she re-emerges. The feeling of assurance and certainty that she will be seen again creates an aura of continuity despite emerging challenges. The other people around her go about their business, some noticing her while others do not recognize her presence. A needle woman is the one who enjoins the other people in this motion picture. When she is swallowed up by the human traffic, the audience loses focus but increase our concentration upon her steady emergence. This is the very behavior depicted by anyone who is sewing through a cloth using a thread and a needle. Kimsooja is the woman, equivalent of a needle, sewing together the other passersby. According to Marter (2011), sewing in this case is a continuous process that does not create new materials but, transforms the existing ones into further meaningful objects. The Kimsooja Unfolding, in the Vancouver Arts Gallery also displayed the use of everyday tools and objects to give out a meaningful depiction through art. Sculptures are used the world over to depict both simplicity and complexity of matters. What kimsooja offers however are not the ordinary sculptures that are curved out of stone or molded by clay. Hers is an exemplary use of the already available objects in their complete form to create a sculpture. Without changing the original form of the objects being used, she creates another object in the form of a sculpture. The Bottari is one of them. It is the artistic brainchild of Kimsooja. It normally includes brightly colored clothes wrapped in bundles. This is the use of cloth, needles and thread in an ordinary manner but the result comes out as a concept. The Bottari concept depicts the native aspect of the Asian culture of migration and being nomadic entails moving about. According to Lee (2005), Koreans normally use it in moving small luggage around and its mere presence shows that there is transition taking place. The bottari therefore shows something that is saved and secured in a bundle for travelling and safekeeping purposes. The bundled cloth however contains several paraphernalia inside. The outside cloth however must always be neat and very attractive. Engulfed inside the bottari however, there might be secrets or treasures. This is the general concept of life. Human being might appear to be very neat from the outside, but they harbor so much that cannot be seen by the naked eye. That is conceptualized in the mere design and the making of the bottari. The feeling of curiosity and the strange feeling of satisfaction are both elicited by the same concept. The image of the bottari arouses the particular feeling of curiosity because it definitely has contents inside. This is evident because of the way the bottari is tied, leaving the viewer with so many lingering questions. The bottari also depicts the image of a turning point in someone’s life. Either the person in question is planning to hide something or the person is picking up their treasured belongings and setting out to conquer new grounds. However, the bottari also shows an all too familiar image of a person who has been shunned by the community and cast out. With nowhere to go, and especially for the case of women, all their hopes and expectations are put on the bottari that is normally laying beside the person. It brings about the picture of a stranger, restless and homeless who has not despaired but who has no vivid path to follow. Kimsooja unfolded, in the Vancouver Art Gallery gave the world a chance to trace back the art of Kimsooja for up to three decades back. This exhibition was a revelation to several issues social, cultural and somehow political. The manifestation of these aspects can be overlooked, and are overlooked in our daily lives. However, scrutiny opens up the simplest of the activities into a concept that when explored can be life changing to the people involved. Works cited Augaitis,D Kimsooja: Unfolding. Ostfildern: Hatje Cantz, 2013. Print. Kim, Soo-ja. Kimsooja: Conditions of Humanity. Milano: 5 continents, 2004. Print. Lee, Jung J. A Bottari Woman: Unwrapping the Art of Kimsooja. , 2005. Print. Marter, Joan M. The Grove Encyclopedia of American Art. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011. Print. Read More