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Course: Tate > Unit 7
Lesson 3: Art and Memory- What role does memory play in art?
- Michael Landy and Jean Tinguely: Art that breaks down
- Cyprien Gaillard: Memory, nostalgia, and anachronism
- Katie Paterson: A map of every dead star in the Universe
- Do Ho Suh's memory of a staircase
- Johno Verity, avalanche survivor, on "An Avalanche in the Alps"
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Do Ho Suh's memory of a staircase
This video brought to you by Tate.org.uk
Korean artist Do Ho Suh’s work is made based on personal memories of architectural spaces. In the case of Staircase-III, he has created an exact replica of the small, narrow staircase that connects his modern New York apartment to that of his landlord. But it also recalls the staircase in his parents’ traditional Korean house in Seoul, merging two very different memories into one object. Crafted in a light, gauzy fabric, this staircase invites us to think about the nature of transitional spaces (like staircases, bridges, and doors, connecting but also separating two spaces), transparency, light, and the ephemerality of memory.
Korean artist Do Ho Suh’s work is made based on personal memories of architectural spaces. In the case of Staircase-III, he has created an exact replica of the small, narrow staircase that connects his modern New York apartment to that of his landlord. But it also recalls the staircase in his parents’ traditional Korean house in Seoul, merging two very different memories into one object. Crafted in a light, gauzy fabric, this staircase invites us to think about the nature of transitional spaces (like staircases, bridges, and doors, connecting but also separating two spaces), transparency, light, and the ephemerality of memory.
“The space I'm interested in is not only a physical one, but an intangible, metaphorical, and psychological one,” he says. Do you think that the experience of living in Korea and moving to the United States has influenced Do Ho Suh’s relationship with art and memory? Does a feeling of cultural displacement allow a person to see things differently, perhaps allowing them to focus on transitional spaces rather than destinations?
. Created by Tate.Want to join the conversation?
How did he get the fabric to retain three dimensional space? Shouldn't it fold in on itself? Or does it have some sort of harder structural support?(5 votes)
The artist used stainless steel weights and rods to support the polyester fabric -- without them, you're right, the sculpture would just fold in on itself. You can spot the supports running across the ceiling and forming the 3D "outline" of the staircase.(4 votes)
I wonder - does he change the height of the staircase depending on the gallery space (i.e., does it make it taller for taller spaces, and shorter for shorter spaces)?(1 vote)
Video transcript
I'm the Xhosa I'm a sculptor from originally from Seoul Korea I live and work in New York and London and in the middle of installing staircase three at the state modern it's a one-to-one scale fabric version of a very small narrow staircase that connects from my apartment to to my landlord place this piece was made specifically for this room the staircase and the banister that always stays same but this horizontal fabric the horizontal ceiling was made to fit in this space as you see we have beautiful skylights but the light condition in the space changes constantly it gives a different experience in a different time of the day for me I think it's very interesting aspects of this space I've been interested in so-called transitional spaces staircase here like this in bridges or doors it connects to different spaces but at the same time it separates two spaces I think the reason that I've been interested in those spaces it's got to do with my personal experience living you know Korea and and moved to u.s. the cultural displacement allowed me to see things differently so I'd be more interested in this transitional spaces rather than destination because I truly believe the life is a passageway I experience life moving through this different series of spaces one of my desire was to carry my memory of this intimate spaces with me wherever I go so that's how I started to think about the transportable piece and the choice of fabric for the material of the piece came very naturally you can fold and packing your suitcase and carry with you and I literally did it when I first made my first fabric Architecture piece so it's about the mobility and transport bility my work is very transparent so you can actually see the enveloping space through my piece so actually that helped audience or visitors to to see the gallery space in a different way you