Digital codes and large-scale projections are taking over the role of paint and canvas. A medium that embodies artists’ ideas and thoughts changes from linear to nonlinear, and its underlying message culminates with the audience, not in the works of art. Breakthrough technologies have enabled media art to permeate every aspect of our lives. Taking advantage of these developments, two experts, Professor Park and CEO Lee, who leverage media art to create new expressions and experiences, met and had an in-depth discussion centered on this new form of art and its enormous untapped potential.  

 

Media art: A new realm of expression

Professor Park : Artist-audience communication has revolved around works of art. Artists express their intentions and emotions through artworks, while audience members appreciate those pieces of art, explore their implied messages, and share their feelings with others. In the process, artworks in the realms of media art and art & technology warrant special attention in that a wide array of techniques used by these art forms function as tools of expression or become content themselves, thus helping the audience be open to new feelings and experiences. In this respect, ARTE MUSEUM, run by d’strict, is the perfect place where the nature of media art is clearly defined and expressed. 

CEO Lee : “Nature” prevails throughout ARTE MUSEUM as a primary theme that provides the audience with intuitive experiences. Museum visitors can leisurely walk through nature’s splendor and composure, which are often inaccessible in urban life. With revolutionary advances in science and technology, our approach is to address subject matters that are the antithesis of digital content, such as portraying the coldness and unfamiliarity of something digital in an approachable way through the theme of nature. Late last year, you showcased a work of art that interpreted the cold and unfamiliar attribute of technology from a different perspective. In particular, I was deeply impressed by your reference to “metabio art.”

Professor Park : I also utilized multiple technologies for my main work, “Lucid Dream: Five Colors,” which was exhibited at the 2021 Seoulight Spring, a media façade screening festival. In the last chapter, I presented a video, delivering a different version of my own poem, learned and interpreted by artificial intelligence. I repeated the process of structuring and revising the poem with lavish care and attention on every word so that my collaborating partner, the artificial intelligence, could imagine beautiful images. Furthermore, the term “metabio art” is not a genre of art, but rather a declaratory message, directed to all of us who lead digital media-based multidimensional lives, about the suitable roles for media art. 

Professor Park’s “Lucid Dream: Five Colors” showcased at the 2021 Seoulight Spring exhibition 

Reflect upon and enjoy media that has become part of our daily routine

Professor Park : When it comes to digital media, the sky is the limit. It is expanding its boundaries to significantly affect our daily lives. When photography came along, painting was believed to be endangered by the new medium. Painters, however, turned the crisis into opportunity by further reinforcing their inherent value. Likewise, I expect media art to strengthen its presence through smartphones, VR, and façade while combining itself with new technologies such as artificial intelligence and metaverse. Soon, various forms of media art will play an integral role in every aspect of our lives. Your company, d’strict, has also contributed to improving the public spirit and scalability of media art and envisaging its harmony with everyday life. I understand that your public media art, “WAVE”, displayed in downtown Seoul, has drawn worldwide attention with its realistic description of swirling waves.

CEO Lee : Yes, “WAVE” is a work of art presented in the genre of public media art. Many equate “public art” with sculpture, but large-sized screens installed in downtown areas are public arenas and can become a great canvas on which all kinds of public art may be created. People passing by the screens are exposed to artworks without any affirmative action on their own part. Focusing on the public setting, I found it necessary to refrain from provocative images or videos and instead deliver content that can arouse public interest or be appreciated as sophisticated art. As you mentioned, everything seems to morph into media. Since the nature of media itself is public art, the creators involved need to put their heads together and figure out how to go about it. 

ARTE MUSEUM Gangneung, “BEACH CLOUD” 

Professor Park : I cannot agree with you more. Let’s take an example of the aforementioned “Lucid Dream: Five Colors.” I was keen to define “life” through this work of art now that digital virtual reality has made significant inroads into our way of life. I wanted to make the audience think seriously about insightful questions such as, “Can we regard mechanical devices that are inseparable from humans as life?” “How do we approach cities and environments that organically interact with humans?” and “What values should we incorporate into our metaverse-induced multidimensional lives?” The COVID-19 pandemic era demonstrated that media has become an essential tool in our society, and it is never too late to share these concerns. 

CEO Lee : It is almost as though media art attracts people in a practical and friendly manner through its thoughtful messages. Without the need to emphasize storytelling or narratives, it is capable of providing intuitive experiences in a limited space solely based on visual images. We designed ARTE MUSEUM in such a way that the audience can intuitively understand the message that a given artwork is trying to convey without consulting the description of the work or the artist’s intention. Upon entering our museum, visitors encounter visual images in space, along with the sound and scent that make such images all the more vivid, and feel as if they were part of the artwork. As technological progress accelerates, we can recreate these offline experiences online. 

Professor Park : I have naturally gravitated toward art & technology. Initially, I expressed the subject of independent life through photography and installation media. At the same time, I became truly intrigued by the immersive game universe in which one clears missions in digital space and interacts with fictional characters. I then thought to myself, “How about turning these virtual spaces into the space of aimless thought?” and made my first attempt to employ 3D game modeling techniques to create a work of art, “A journey.” This piece of art was the beginning of my art & technology artistic journey. I wonder what vision led you to this career path. 

Public media art “WAVE” by d’strict / Samsung-dong, Seoul, April 2020 

Fruit of accumulated experiences

CEO Lee : After earning my BA in Economics, I passed the CPA exam while attending the graduate program at SNU Business School and subsequently worked as an accountant. I joined d’strict in 2007 as an alternative to serving in the military, a special system granted to skilled industrial personnel. By the time I finished my 26 months of service, the smartphone made its debut, and I thought it was just a matter of time before the digital design field would witness a skyrocketing demand for multiplex content. At the time, d’strict primarily engaged in B2B as a web agency. It was my faith in the enormous potential of high-caliber employees that inspired me to harbor a grand ambition of creating differentiated content that can appeal to the general public. After taking over as CEO in 2016, I have pursued well-developed strategies in earnest since 2019 that go beyond the existing commercial design and branch out into the business of producing works of art that people of all ages can appreciate and savor. 

Professor Park : I am fully aware that you and your members invest considerable time and energy and closely collaborate with one another to create a piece of art. Another merit of media art lies in the ample opportunities to work with numerous experts and professionals. In this sense, I place a special focus on group projects to instill this collaborative mindset into my students. Although some may find group work cumbersome and uncomfortable compared to solo work, I strongly believe that the process of communicating and collaborating with others will help individuals discover their true value and further broaden their horizons. At this juncture, a few words of advice from you will be of great help to students out there. I am also curious to know what your school days were like. 

 

CEO Lee : In retrospect, I had many unique experiences while in college. I stayed in a dormitory and had a hard time waking up and getting to class by 9 am, so I bought a motorcycle, which frequently broke down. Dragging it to the repair shop was so tiresome that I took a leave of absence for one semester and created an “ASAP 911” service. With just one call, someone from a repair shop will come to your place and pick up your motorbike. I visited motorcycle repair shops in Seoul to persuade them to sign a franchise agreement. In addition, given the difficulty of ordering the food I wanted and having it delivered, I myself built a website by collecting all of the restaurant flyers scattered around campus. Highlighting the convenience of choosing from a menu, I marketed my website by visiting nearby restaurants and encouraged them to join the website. These experiences made me what I am today. I want students to have as many invaluable experiences as possible and work hard to cultivate empathy for others.

Professor Park : I will redouble my efforts to help my students challenge themselves and use related experiences as a springboard for their future career launch. As a longtime fan of d’strict, I will cherish this time I have spent with you. As a writer and educator, I have a lot of ideas about how to advance the digital ecosystem for generations to come. The conversation I had with you will certainly remain foremost in my memory. I am confident that d’strict will develop into a world-class company that takes center stage in digital content creation.