Rediscovery of Poems

2011

Sungsoo Kim 김성수

(Korean, b. 1974)

Korea

cast glass

Gift of the Korean Holiness Church of the Nazarene 2011.135.b

Location: not on view

This artwork is known to be under copyright.

Description

Sungsoo Kim found his inspiration in discarded Styrofoam pellets, a type of packaging material, and utilized them as molds for casting glass. Kim was fascinated with the different shapes of the pellets as well as their short life span—after boxes are opened, pellets lose their value and are discarded. Upcyled Styrofoam here is transformed into a powerful poetic line.

The title of this work was inspired by Korean poet Yu Chi-hwan’s poem “Rock.” As the poet challenges the commonly accepted binary between life and death and rebirth and extinction, Kim transforms each Styrofoam pellet into a line celebrating renewed life.

“Rock” by Yu Chi-hwan (1908−1967)
When I die, I will become
a rock, never touched
by compassion, joy, or anger.
While being torn down
by wind and rain,
that rock will only whip itself
inwards in eternal, impersonal silence,
and at last forget its own existence.
Floating clouds, distant thunder!
Though it may dream,
it will never sing,
though broken in pieces,
it will never utter a word—
I will become such a rock.