서울시립미술관 SEOUL MUSEUM OF ART

Beyond project: Somatic Ground - Small Studio Semi

How does our body function in an art museum? As visitors gaze at artworks and move through the exhibition space, their bodies operate within a state of concentration and tension. Nevertheless, when discussing the experience of viewing art, the body is rarely mentioned. An analogy can be drawn between this exhibition and an interlude played between acts in opera or theater, shifting the atmosphere and preparing for the next scene. Like an interlude, the exhibition situates itself between the journeys of viewing, providing time to relax the body and refresh the senses.
Experience of the exhibition expands beyond sight to hearing, touch, and smell, naturally awakening senses that tend to be overlooked in the museum.

Small Studio Semi is an artist who has reinterpreted traditional fine carpentry techniques in a contemporary manner and has been active across diverse fields, exploring everyday life, the body, and communal senses. In this exhibition, the artist imbues woodworking sculptures and geometric patterns with universal values such as peace and coexistence. In addition, through processes in which viewers move their own bodies or create sounds together, the artist breaks the silence of the museum and proposes a communal experience that connects with others.

Centered on the "ground" formed by the works, a world separated from the outside unfolds within the exhibition space. Inside this world, it is hoped that viewers will listen to their bodies, catch their breath for a moment and play their own interlude.