Hong Sungchul (b. 1969), best known for creating illusional images of body parts or objects with custom-made elastic strings, presents two large-scale installations at the Nike headquarters in Oregon, USA.
Hong Sungchul. Courtesy of the artist.
The installations, created with the artist’s unique strings, depict images of the company’s co-founder Bill Bowerman to reflect the company’s history and energy.
The two 3.5-meter-high wall installations were made with 8,290 strings and shoe aglets provided by Nike. The project was completed in May 2020 but was officially opened to the public in September 2021 due to COVID-19.
Hong Sungchul, Bill Bowerman, 2018-2020. Photo by Todd Eckelman. Courtesy of Waterfall Mansion & Gallery.
Hong is also participating in a group show entitled The Premiere from November 1 to December 31 at A gallery, operated by Aproject Company that aims to establish a larger presence of Korean contemporary artists abroad.
Hong Sungchul, String_folds_6053, 2018. Photo by Aproject Company. Courtesy of the artist.
Since the early 2000s, Hong has been creating three-dimensional installations showing images of hands, arms, torsos, beaded strings, or cloths printed on thousands of customized strings.
These printed strings are deliberately arranged in vertical layers so that they look as if they are moving or blurring.
Hong Sungchul, String_hands_0718, 2017. Courtesy of the artist.
Hong’s works have been exhibited at leading art institutions in Korea, such as the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, the Busan Biennale, the Seoul Museum of Art, and the Kumho Museum of Art.
He has also introduced his works to various countries worldwide, including Greece, the Netherlands, Germany, the United States, Britain, Indonesia, and Hong Kong.
His works are included in renowned collections, including CJ, SK, and Korea Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, as well as other art institutions.
