ART AND DESIGN

THE STATIC BECOMES DYNAMIC

the public art revolution at d'strict

By Evelyn Lee

The team 

Imagine you open your window and you see the majestic sight of the entire solar system in front of you. Or, you walk down the street and the building in front of you is turning into water. Or, you’re in Times Square and a flatiron building becomes a waterfall. Moments of pure fantasy like these used to be strictly the province of a childhood imagination. And so, the question is what happens when you bring these types of fantasies to life. Well, D’strict,a South Korean art? advertising? branding? tech? company is giving it a try.

Just a wave or a revolution in public art?

Throughout the history of art, there have been many, many jumps in technology that have changed how people relate to art, and the type of art that artists produce. I feel that D’strict is on the edge of a new revolution in art, a new revolution in how we think about realism, and how the intersection of realism and technology intertwine. It's an exciting moment, but also one whose future is difficult to discern. Technology has been developing at lightning-fast speeds and nowhere has this been faster than in our digital capabilities. What we could do ten years ago is now considered primitive. Everything has digital screens, including refrigerators, cars, even buildings. In fact, to put a bow on the point, the human eye has been gravitating towards digital screens for at least twenty years and has become quite comfortable with the way it reflects the world.

One of D’strict’s first and best known projects is Wave (April, 2020). It’s an anamorphic illusion located in the center of Seoul. It covers one side of a building and wraps around one corner, a huge digital board that is four times bigger than a basketball court. The projection is 3D and looks like a giant wave is crashing into a glass case, making passersbys feel as if a giant wave is about to engulf them.

Wave is located in the middle of a busy street named ‘Samsung’ that is covered with electronic display boards. Just like its name would suggest, ‘Samsung’ is in the center of the city where the most important businesses have buildings. This street is known for having a variety of electronic display boards that update the trendiest and most recent products. D’strict wanted to upset the notion of commerce with art. What’s fascinating is that in a sense the technology and the means to make the Wave were already there, that all it took was for D’strict’s to imagine doing something different with it. The brilliance of the maneuver is that they saw the possibilities for a new way of speaking in public, a new way of creating public art.

Maybe you need to see it in action. Impressive, yes?

Public art always has a connection with the specific location. Here, in the midst of commercial media and video images, D’strict steals the technology of commerce to make art. People who pass by see it first as an advertisement and then must think, an advertisement for what? Raw, untrammeled nature about to crash down upon them. The placement of Wave couldn’t be better and more oriented to upset our normal ways of thinking.

As they received more attention, D’strict sought new ways to put art in unexpected places. Suddenly, companies from around the world wanted to collaborate with them. One of their most famous and successful is in the middle of Time Square in New York City, Waterfall-NYC (July, 2021) covers the exterior of One Time Square, using four vertical LED screens for a total height of 336 feet. The digital artwork features a breathtaking waterfall of great magnitude dropping from the city's ubiquitous red brick buildings and steel-framed architecture. Surprisingly, this massive project was created by two people in eight to nine months. Every day, the technology is getting more and more powerful and the possibilities more and more limitless.

Something new for Times Square

The introduction of their artwork in New York City garnered widespread attention and admiration among the city's residents and visitors alike. The waterfall is a clear representation of nature erupting out of an urban landscape. It reminds us of the power and beauty of nature, even in the most artificial, man-made environments. The waterfall is also a symbol of hope and renewal, suggesting that even in the midst of chaos and change, there is always the possibility of new beginnings. This significant achievement not only captivated the hearts and minds of the local community, but also resonated with a global audience, drawing the interest of art enthusiasts and critics from around the world. It was an impressive New York debut.

This was just the start of changing the term ‘art’ for them. Art is affected and changed depending on people and the society as they change from time to time. During the invention of photography technology, artists were able to vent their thoughts and emotions with the combination of abstract works. Before, artists challenged themselves to paint as realistically as possible, but with the invention of photography they no longer needed the techniques and skills. Now photography is becoming more and more abstract, as digital media is taking over realism. This has led us to the era of media art and artists who begun to take art outside the canvas or the print.

An engulfing art

Finally, I guess the real question is: Is this art or just 3D optical tricks? Well, D’strict seems to be using this technology as art, infiltrating places that we think of as belonging to business. And people certainly react to the pieces as if they are art, often with awe and fascination. So, I guess my answer would be yes. Just as people used to ask, is photography art, the answer is always, sure, but it kind of depends on who’s taking the picture. If it’s D’strict, the answer is yes, but it depends who's manipulating the pixels.

But in case you're still dubious, in September of 2020 D’strict created an immersive media art exhibition at Jeju Island. It is the largest immersive media art exhibition in Korea. The museum spans over 2,000 square meters and features a variety of interactive and immersive exhibits that use cutting-edge technology to create an unforgettable experience. The museum features a variety of different themes, including nature, space, and emotions. Each theme is explored through a unique combination of light, sound, and projection mapping. Once you step inside the room, you might wonder if you’re looking at the real world or the next new iteration of painting.

The Future?

D’strict constantly uses the natural scenery as the core feature. Not only is it visually appealing, but it also brings peace to those who see and experience their work. I believe the locations they choose are designed to create a startling contrast to what’s already there. Maybe one day they’ll project a skyscraper onto a desolate farm. In the past, if artists wanted to change the urban landscape, their tools would be paint and a paintbrush; today, it is digital screens and technology that can create any image in the world.

©Evelyn Lee and the CCA Arts Review