Classical Mechanics
Myeongsoo Kim and Cy Morgan
Curated by Wangui Maina and Mo Kong
November 18 - December 11, 2021
Def: physical theory describing the motion of macroscopic objects, from projectiles to parts of machinery, and astronomical objects, such as spacecraft, planets, stars, and galaxies. For objects governed by classical mechanics, if the present state is known, it is possible to predict how it will move in the future (determinism), and how it has moved in the past (reversibility).
Classical Mechanics features the work of Myeongsoo Kim and Cy Morgan. The practice of each artist stems from a curious exploration of materiality that arranges parts which exist as building blocks used to construct the environments around us. Each artist uses these materials to connect to events that have passed or to have some understanding of what is in store in the future. Morgan’s approach is a process that aims to make sense of macro topics that influence our collective society but are impossible to resolve with a simple answer. How can we understand the passage of time and the effect that we have on a future which we are unable to know for certain that we have influenced?
Similarly, Kim’s interests lie with the transformation of materials over time through bio/chemical reactions, such as mold and oxidation, or through the intervention of his own hand. With a background in architecture, it is no surprise that the artist takes a modular approach to building three dimensional forms and layered images. The constructed landscapes in his photographic works almost read as natural from far away, but upon closer inspection are distorted and artificially constructed. Both artists' curiosity about time, how it is measured, how it may be influenced, and what evidence we have to describe individual changes asks the viewer to also consider their own place in relation to the world around them.
