The emptiness, at first glance, sounds like a lingering, painful aftermath of something lost. Recently, I experienced the dissolution of relationships through a breakup with an old lover and the death of a longtime friend, prompting me to contemplate this process more deeply than ever before. In this world, many relationships disappear rapidly, and while we may feel the void left behind and grieve. However, the emptiness, so natural and inevitable, is a state with infinite potential.

In Eastern philosophy, 'Yoo(existence)'  and 'Mu(non-existence)'  are viewed as essentially the same, where 'Mu' does not imply absolute absence but represents the fundamental source that produces the all-encompassing potential of 'Yoo'. They engage in a mutually influential relationship where non-existence continually gives rise to existence. This concept aligns closely with the notion of 'emptiness' in East Asian art.

The crucial element of 'emptiness' in East Asian art is not merely perceived as an empty space but is regarded as another form of space. Natural elements like mist and water, which are dynamic and ever-changing, are expressed through these white spaces, signifying a form of free space. The seemingly empty space, easily perceived as 'Mu', conveys meaning, and well-arranged emptiness can communicate more eloquently than what is depicted. Therefore, emptiness is filled, transmits energy and achieves completion through dissolution.

My work is created from the perspective of East Asian painting. The white cube represents emptiness from a painterly standpoint, and the space of emptiness is filled with water and mist, typical of East Asian art. Inside the cube, water and mist vibrate incessantly, producing powerful energy, but  it too must eventually dissipate. Just as everything in the world eventually disappears and is replaced by something new, similar to the concept of 'Mu' existing to produce 'Yoo' in Daoism, emptiness is emptied to be filled.

I created a mechanism using moss to create gaps in the energy inside the cube. Moss, the oldest plant on Earth, holds significant importance in East Asian art. Known as ‘Taejeom’, meaning 'moss dot,' it is depicted on the canvas as a dot. When moss dots are placed in ambiguous empty spaces, they prevent the flow of energy from escaping and breathe life into the objects they touch. Overall, moss dots regulate the flow of the painting and refine the empty spaces.

In the artwork, moss dots are deliberately positioned in front of the white cube, interacting with the audience. When these moss dots react to intentional or unintentional contact, they stimulate the mist inside the box, releasing it outside and creating gaps in the emptiness for 'Yoo'.

The space with the white box also exists as part of the artwork. Moss is cultivated throughout this space, and the mist emanating from the box flows into it, providing nourishment to the moss. In essence, the external space is where creation occurs through dissolution. The white cube symbolizes relationships among living beings and the external space represents the natural world encompassing these relationships.

여백 트임은 ‘비어있음’을 단순한 결핍이 아니라 무한한 잠재성의 상태로 바라본다. 생성과 소멸은 서로 대립하는 개념이 아니라 끊임없이 상호작용하며, 도가에서 말하는 ‘유’와 ‘무’ 또한 분리되지 않고 서로를 낳는 관계에 있다. 이러한 사유는 동양미술의 핵심 요소인 ‘여백’과도 맞닿아 있다.

작품은 동양회화적 시각에서 출발한다. 전체적인 흰색의 육면체 구조 안은 비어있는 듯 보이지만, 동시에 물과 안개로 채워진 여백의 공간이 된다. 그 위에는 흰색의 유기적 형태의 조형과 함께 이끼를 활용한 상호작용 장치가 설치되어 있다. 이끼는 화면의 흐름을 조절하고 여백을 다듬는 역할을 하는 동양화의 ‘태점(苔點, moss dots)’에서 착안한 요소로, 작품 안에서도 같은 역할로 작용한다.

관객의 의도적 혹은 우연한 접촉을 통해 이끼는 반응하고, 내부의 안개가 밖으로 흘러나오며 여백 속에 새로운 틈을 만든다. 그 틈은 곧 ‘유’를 위한 공간이자, 현상과 감각이 발생하는 장소가 된다.