Sangwoo Yoo

SAIC SHOWS 2024 GRADUATE EXHIBITIONS

Graduates

SAIC SHOWS 2024 GRADUATE EXHIBITIONS

Master of Fine Arts in Studio, Sculpture

Sangwoo Yoo(born in Seoul, 1994) is an interdisciplinary artist specializing in sculpture and installation. His practice is driven by the intention to reawaken modern senses, creates art that engages multiple senses, challenges societal numbness, explores alternative perspectives, and aims to make a practical contribution to society and the environment through material ecological cycles. Sang Woo Yoo received his B.F.A from the University of Seoul in Korea and is currently pursuing an M.F.A in Sculpture at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in the United States.

Sangwoo Yoo - Portrait of Loss (dust) (#23 Street Station, New York)

Portrait of Loss (dust) (#23 Street Station, New York), 2023, Single-channel video of temporary public work using Christmas tree dust, 256 in.

In public people left footprints in dust. Then returned to nature, it catalyzes new life's emergence

Portrait of Loss (dust), 2023, Discarded Christmas tree, Dimensions variable

Viewers engage this unstable floor sculpture, sensing nature's scent; over time the dust desaturates.

Sangwoo Yoo - Portrait of Loss (incense)

Portrait of Loss (incense), 2023, Incense cone of discarded Christmas tree burned in Colorado forest where tree originated, 3/4 x 1/2 x 1/2 in.

Incense bridges body and spirit, evokes memories, guides into meditation as it turns to ash.

Sangwoo Yoo - Portrait of Loss (candle) #1

Portrait of Loss (candle) #1, 2023, Discarded Christmas tree chlorophyll, body, and fragrance with beeswax, 3 3/8 x 2 1/8 x 2 1/8 in

A subtle scent of loss is emitted as the candle burns, while its body slowly vanishes

Sotdae, 2023, Wood, horn speaker, live sound, and sand-bags, 136 5/8 x 36 1/4 x 38 1/4 in.

Ancient Korean shamanic symbol—bird on pole to signify sacred land—streams Kyiv's real-time sound.

Artist Statement

I create art with the intention of reawakening the dulled senses of contemporary subjects. While working as an archaeologist, I was drawn to objects imbued with static temporal weight. However, the social reality around me seemed simultaneously oversaturated and depleted, marked by rapid and chaotic changes. I believe that this aggressive society can lead people to lose their cool-headedness and be numbed, which is why I aim to reconnect their lost senses through my art. For instance, in ‘Portrait of Loss’, I transformed a discarded Christmas tree into dust with its natural pine scent, creating an olfactory experience that demonstrates the feeling of loss.

In terms of material use, I am constantly exploring how material can have an ecological cycle, focusing on embracing ephemerality and leaving behind a minimal environmental footprint. Moving forward, I aim to innovate the material usage through the practice based on sustainability and foster community, thereby making a practical contribution to society and the environment and sparking a reaction.

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