Art is the visible expression of human emotions and thoughts. Sculpture, in particular, brings pride and aesthetic respite to our lives. They are persuasive as guides between people and people, people and animals in different worlds. And if they also serve as public art that allows us to experience a special artistic sensibility, that is even better. The works of installation artist Park Tae-ho are a prime example of this.

Incheon Airport installation ‘Light and Shadow’ impresses with its stunning artwork

On the upper wall of the baggage claim area of Incheon International Airport Terminal 2, a beautifully detailed artwork depicting the majestic mountain range from Baekdu to Halla that runs through the north and south of the country is an eye-catcher. This is his Light and Shadow, which was selected as a work of Incheon International Airport’s “Art Airport” project. He implemented the depth of traditional Korean painting in a relief format by connecting each bead on a scale of 140m x 3m with thin ink. When viewed from a distance, it is a large landscape, but as you get closer, it leaves a deep impression, as if you can see the individual in tens of thousands of beads. The fact that the actual height of the mountain range is reproduced in detail shows how sensitive the artist is. “Koreans have lived with a huge, rugged mountain range that stretches from Baekdu to Halla. With four seasons, Korea’s mountains are as colorful as an outfit of different colors. I was inspired by the changing light of the seasons and wanted to express the landscape using light and shadow. By combining the abstract concept of light and shadow with the figurative concept of beads, I wanted to show a new picture of Korea with old techniques and contemporary art. I wanted to convey great meaning and hope through the encounter between old and new, East and West, and different cultures, just as individual worlds are connected to one huge world.” explains Park. The author of the novel “Assassination” says “His artistic language is Contrast, which has the strength and tenderness of light and shadow, and the spatiality of ancient and modern, East and West, and history, which he expresses with the anguish of a genius. His work is a constant attempt to reconcile the world of binary contradictions that he has lived in confusion, wandering, and anguish.” 

Sculpture at the GoldenTail Resort

The number of pet owners has surpassed 10 million. GoldenTail Resort is starting construction on the nation’s first pet hotel and convention center in Yangyang and Jecheon. Park plans to make installations here. The name of the sculpture to be built at Yangyang GoldenTail Resort is ‘Seolleim.’ This is a structure that expresses a human symbolizing a dog owner with lines and glass, and can be illuminated with LED lights during the day and at night, and express various colors along the lines. “I thought that this is the kind of excitement that GoldenTail Resort wants to give its guests, as if their dogs are dressed up in fancy patterns when they go for a walk or meet their owners.” says Park. His unique and friendly sculptures will also be erected at a resort in Jecheon.

The title of the work is ‘Butterfly Dream’. This is a saying that was passed down when Zhangzi saw a butterfly in his dream and could not tell the difference between himself and the butterfly. It can be interpreted to mean that all things have no boundaries, in the realm of the oneness of material and self. In this sense, it was created with the hope that it would be a peaceful resting and enjoyable space where dog owners and their dogs can feel free spirits according to the laws of nature. The appearance of the sculpture depicts numerous pieces that naturally sway according to time and season like the fur of a companion dog. A structure named ‘Encounter’ is also planned for Geoje Island. He symbolized the way a dog wags its tail and runs out the door at the sound of its owner’s footsteps, and expressed thousands of golden beads as dogs with numerous species and personalities, symbolizing the meaning that their hearts are always waiting for their owners.

▲ Installation Artist Park Tae-ho

Winning Social and Industrial Best Brand Award

Kim Young-dae, president of the Korea Pacific Art Association, says: “He has the tenacity and meticulousness to reject mediocrity. That’s why I think he is the best at bringing out the expression of symbolic sculptures in a huge space with his own unique sensibility.” Having created such significant work, he won the Social and Industrial Best Brand Award. He, who is also the CEO of THE SOOM SPACE, recently signed an MOU with the development project of the ‘Osiria Tourism Complex Family Land’ in Busan. This is a large-scale project to build a high-class resort facility in Haeundae, Busan as part of the activation of global events and tourism conventions. In addition to the world-class resort hotel Banyan Tree, four themed spaces combining culture, nature, and art will be created. The specialized space is themed after nature for tourists visiting Family Land, and the exterior is a unique space where visitors can experience culture, such as various sculpture exhibitions, and great expectations are high for it to become a world-class resort facility in Busan. “I am honored to be part of this project. Based on the philosophy of my work, I want to make this place where everyone wants to be and go.” says Park.