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Brilliant�Ideas�Episode�#45:�KimsoojaArtist�connecting�people�with�a�needle�and�thread
‘Bottari’�refers�to�a�package�wrapped�in�‘bojagi’,�or�a�patchwork�cloth
combined�from�small�pieces�of�leftover�cloth.�One�leftover�cloth�hardly
serves�many�purposes;�reproduced�by�a�needle�and�thread,�‘bojagi’�is�given�a
new�life�as�an�object�that�can�embrace�anything�in�the�world.
With�her�keen�interest�in�people,�Kimsooja�is�inspired�by�‘bottari’�and�gathers
everything�with�it.�In�‘bojagi’,�things�with�different�properties�are�connected
and�further�lead�to�a�significant�meaning�by�a�needle�and�thread.�Brilliant
Ideas�Episode�#45�presented�by�Bloomberg�and�Hyundai�Motor�features
Kimsooja,�an�artist�who�travels�across�the�world�carrying�‘bottari’�wrapped�in
‘bojagi’.
Like�a�needle,�which�puts�together�two�different�things,�Kimsooja�takes�a�role
of�connecting�people�with�different�cultural�backgrounds.�As�if�by�destiny,
her�name�“sooja”�means�“needle”�in�Indian.�One�of�her�representative�works,
<A�Needle�Woman>(1999-2001)�is�a�video�artwork�of�performances�in�eight
cities�with�eight�cultural�contexts.�In�the�video,�the�artist�is�standing�idly�in
the�middle�of�a�street�where�many�people�are�passing�by.�The�still�view�of�her
from�behind�that�contrasts�with�the�busy�surroundings�look�like�a�needle,
which�is�intended�by�the�artist�to�make�geography,�culture,�socio-politics,
and�other�features�of�each�region�into�temporal�and�spatial�indexes.�Here,�the
needle�is�a�barometer,�representing�the�axis.�Taking�a�neutral�position�in�the
performance,�Kimsooja�also�turns�her�body�into�a�hermaphrodite�tool
embracing�the�nature�of�the�real�and�the�abstract�and�masculinity�and
femininity.�Becoming�the�center�of�various�cultures,�she�says�that�she�felt�the
strong�connection�between�the�body,�the�mind,�and�the�world�as�well�as
peace�when�she�played�the�role�of�a�needle.
Her�study�on�the�connection�has�gradually�expanded.�Presented�at�the
<MMCA�Hyundai�Motor�Series�2016:�Kimsooja>,�<Deductive�Object>(2016)�is
an�oval-shaped�piece�where�Brahmanda,�the�world�egg�made�of�black�stone,
is�combined�with�‘bottari’,�the�signature�object�of�the�artist.�Placed�on�a�plane
mirror,�the�appearance�of�the�object�is�constantly�reflected�by�the�mirror.�The
materiality�and�form�of�the�work�is�reflected;�actually,�a�shapeless�non-
material�is�crossed�endlessly,�which�can�be�seen�as�the�artist’s�attempt�for
wider�connection�between�material�and�non-material.
sooja,�connecting�everything
contexts�the�artist�experienced�in�Seoul,�New�York,�and�Paris�have�become
rich�artistic�nourishment�for�her.�The�works�of�the�artist�also�show�different
sides�according�to�on�what�background�they�are�displayed�or�where�they�are
created.�The�most�representative�example�is�‘bottari’,�which�made�Kimsooja
who�she�is�now.�
During�her�short�residency�in�MoMA�PS1�in�New�York,�which�was�for�about�a
year,�the�artist�first�found�the�meaning�of�‘bottari’�as�a�Korean�traditional
subject�in�the�foreign�land.�Kimsooja�found�in�‘bottari’�made�with�leftover
cloth�that�it�had�“ready-made”�and�“ready-used”�features,�as�well�as�an
object�with�both�two�and�three�dimensional�properties�as�it�was�a�plane
object�that�became�a�solid�figure�when�something�was�wrapped�inside.
Therefore,�the�artist�considered�‘bottari’�a�matter�that�could�gather
everything�together�including�the�mind�and�the�body.
All�these�concepts�of�‘bottari’,�however,�changed�as�she�came�back�to�Korea
after�the�residency.�While�the�aesthetics�and�forms�of�‘bottari’�were�stressed
in�New�York,�it�was�no�longer�regarded�just�as�an�aesthetic�object�in�Korea.�In
the�Korean�context,�‘bottari’�became�a�channel�for�critical�view�on�the�roles
of�women�in�Korean�culture,�and�was�further�related�to�physical�concepts,
the�identity�and�state�of�the�artist�herself�as�a�woman�in�the�Korean�society,
and�the�general�human�destiny.�From�then�on,�she�replaced�the�‘bottari’�in�a
patchwork�form�with�piece�of�leftover�cloth�combined�with�one�made�with
used�clothes�to�further�emphasize�the�factual�element�and�to�embrace
everything.�
Reflecting�multiple�cultural�contexts�in�one�artwork,�Kimsooja�has�an�attitude
like�‘bottari’�herself.�Her�embracing�approach�to�include�everything�may�be
the�reason�that�made�her�the�world’s�famous�artist�she�is�today.�■�with
ARTINPOST
Paris,�New�York,�Seoul
A�needle�Woman:�Galaxy�was�a�Memory,�Earth�is�a�Souvenir�2014Steel,�custom�acrylic�panel,�laminated�polymer�film,�mirror�14m�x�1.3�(diameter).�Courtesy�of�kukje�Gallery�and�Kimsooja�Studio.�Photo�by�Jaeho�Chong.
Image�provided�by�Kukje�Gallery
In�1997,�KIMSOOJA�carried�hundreds�of�Bottaris�(bed�sheet-like�cloth�used
for�packing�personal�belongings)�on�a�truck�and�toured�the�whole�of�South
Korea�for�11�days.�Since�this�performance,�KIMSOOJA�has�been�called�as�the
“Bottari�artist.”�The�artist�creates�a�unique�art�world�using�“sound”,�“light”,
“bed�sheets”,�and�her�works�focus�on�‘people’.�“Cloth”�is�the�medium�she
chose�to�connect�with�people.�Through�the�action�of�sewing�with�traditional
sewing�materials�such�as�needle,�thread,�cloth,�the�artist�concentrates�on
looking�atherself�and�exploring�issues�about�others,�finally�focuses�on�“self-
consciousness.”�
Born�in�1957,�Daegu,�Korea,�KIMSOOJA�now�works�in�Seoul,�New�York�and
Paris.�She�participated�in�the�‘Venice�Biennale�2013’,�‘Whitney�Biennale’�and
has�had�many�exhibitions�including�the�exhibitions�held�at�the�Centre
Pompidou,�France,�Miami�Art�Museum,�MoMA�PS1,�New�York,�Vancouver�Art
Gallery.�In�2016,�she�was�the�artist�for�the�‘MMCA�Hyundai�Motor�Series’�and
held�a�solo�exhibition�at�the�MMCA(National�Museum�of�Modern�and
Contemporary�Art,�Korea);�<MMCA�Hyundai�Motor�Series�2016:�KIMSOOJA�
Archive�of�Mind>.
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