18 Nov 2021 — 18 Dec 2021

 Taeyeon Kim's page
Taeyeon Kim
수렴과 발산 Form and Variation

Kim Taeyeon's solo exhibition is titled 'Convergence and Divergence: Form and Variation'. in mathematics, convergence is a property of approaching a limit more and more explicitly as an argument of the function increases or decreases to an extreme. On the other hand, divergence is a property of sustained change without a fixed destination. Convergence and divergence as phenomena occur outside of conceptual mathematics as well. Convergent thinking occurs when the solution to a problem can be deduced by applying established rules and logical reasoning. Divergent thinking occurs where judgment is deferred while looking for and accepting many possible solutions. There is even a clear proposition in mathematic which states, "any series that is not convergent is said to be divergent or to diverge". Yet human life is far more complex and tangled than mathematics. It requires a way of being and thought situated between convergence and divergence; select and focus or coexist.

Kim recognized real-world frames and structures in standards, restrictions, institutions, conditions, and limitations. She chose those frames to be the starting point of her work. They are metaphors for want and wanting in our reality. When she encounters physical limits of her studio, when she applies a tool beyond its intended purpose or recommended specifications for use, she finds herself bemused and amused. Kim Taeyeon explores the blind spots of these fixed boundaries and structures to seek out new shoulders to walk or meanings to explore, suggesting alternatives and means to address to what may be found. She once believed firmly that her artistic practice was pure and innocent, an antithesis of frame and structure; with time and retrospection, she found herself reliant on them.

This exhibition is a confession of sorts for Kim, acknowledging the frames that had been present in her works all along. She is not dictated by it. She displays the boundless possibility of form, and simply acknowledges that form is there. It is not a divergent diversity, but a convergent one ? and both are as beautiful as the other. As there is no need for resistance, there is no struggle. She simply senses the point of convergence, then twists and imagines to create diverse converging samples. This new interrelation of convergence and divergence has provided Kim Taeyeon the means to focus on sculpture and aesthetics.

The deepest roots of 'Foam' series are soap bubbles, blown out of a circular frame in all sizes and shapes, given the surface tension of the soap solution. What expanded here were the polystyrene foam hexahedrons (boxes) and the other geometric shapes protruding from it. First, draw identical shapes on opposing sides of the box. Two people, one on each of those opposing sides hold two ends of one hot wire cutter and follow the drawn shapes and start carving. However, this is done completely by hand and the two are not perfectly in sync. Such a cutting wire leaves behind a stratigraphic cross section, and a variation on the shape drawn on each side of the box. Despite carving along a set shape, variables cannot be entirely controlled, and form finds a way to be different. The artist discovered freedom and hope in this variation across every iteration. Polystyrene foam shapes and hexahedrons were installed together this exhibition. The counter relief-like boxes contain the stratified texture of the hot wire and the form as a mould. These two things simultaneously reveal the all-possible-outcomes of divergence and the point of convergence.

'2 by 2 Grid' and '5 by 5 Grid' are a three-dimensional representation of the two-dimensional graphing paper; a frame that the artist has been deeply curious of for quite some time. The artwork was made by assembling L-shaped sheet metal. Based on the point of view, the assembly can look completely full of gaps, or something else entirely. The three-dimensional grid space is an expression of the two-dimensional blind-spot on the graphing paper. 'Perpendicular Wave' series is a wave spring die-cast and replicated in plaster. Every time the spring is stood upright on the ground, it stands upright with an odd form as if to resist falling over. This too, is a metaphor. Something that is prefabricated to standardized specifications may still hold indeterminate form.

Kim Taeyeon identifies the underlying blueprint of the structures she encounters in life, then seeks ways to percolate right through it. She finds loopholes and whatever holes there may be to allow a new outcome. Kim describes the feeling of finding such a hole as being akin to finally getting a deep breath of fresh air after being nearly asphyxiated. This is a strategy she employs when she engages with the world. The frame she has placed upon herself may feel a bit confining, but a detour may lessen the in convenience a bit. She longs for both the unexpected and the expected forms that don't fit the norms as individuals with presence, capable of asking questions about life. Kim considered the title of the exhibition for a long time, and eventually decided 'Convergence and Divergence' was good. She even added 'Form and Variation' as the interpretive English title. It tells a story starting from frame to diverge into divergent possibilities. All things considered, the ratio between the convergent and the divergent is exactly fifty-fifty. 
installation view