A Patch of Ground

2022.5.17
Hoyoung Cho
The continuous movement of the fluid relationship

Cho Hoyoung’s projects change objects and situations around us into unfamiliar and unreal landscapes by distorting a few physical situations and environments. An unreal scenery following the physical laws of science thoroughly makes audiences feel extreme disharmony. The unfamiliar field is a world that fulfills the equilibrium of energy. The equilibrium, like that of life, is in a state of continuous output of energy to maintain stability, yet the risk of suspension also exists when this effort stops.

Both stable and risky, yet completely based on reality, the unreal situations and subjects elicit a subjective interaction of visual transformation, questioning, and approach to explore possibilities that can only be derived from the familiar. The surface of 〈A Patch of Ground〉 is in the form of a combination of numerous tiles. When the audience steps on this tile structure, which is closely connected and forms a flat surface, tiles descend as much as the audience's weight. And surely, the remaining tiles surrounding the audience elevate over the baseline. The mattress below the tiles maintains the level of tiles following Newton's Third Law, based on action and reaction, which is maintained by the continuous tension of trying to support as much as is pushed. This tension is disturbed when the audience steps on the tiles, namely the audience's intervention, and at the same time reaches a new tension, which is the end of elevation and descent. While this sudden incident causes external physical transformation, the system maintains the equal space and equilibrium of energy. This movement of elevation and descent does not occur as much as the predicted speed. The friction of the hinges connecting the tiles slows down the speed of movement. The disparity between what is expected and the reality of what occurs provides participants the opportunity to attract, doubt, question, and ponder alternative interactions.