Written by Joon Moon

Chasing Stars in Shadow: Media Art Blossoming at the Touch of Visitors / by Namdo Ilbo

– G.MAP Exhibition of Joon Yong Moon’s Work until July 30.

– Fusion of Technology and Art… New Immersive Content.

– Augmented and Virtual Reality Enhanced with Storytelling.

Joon Yong Moon’s work Augmented Shadow: Chasing Stars in Shadow

Black shadows chase yellow schools of fish and appear to search for something, holding lanterns as they move up and down stairs. Although it is clear that this is within a virtual reality, the movements of the black shadows are so varied that the line between reality and virtuality blurs.

The black shadows begin to move in response to cues from the audience. This is Joon Yong Moon’s representative work, ‘Chasing Stars in Shadow.’

This work is a 15-minute interactive media art piece that requires a cue from the audience to start. The audience must lift a flashlight-like cup, and the piece begins when the light is directed at one of the six shadows leaning against the exhibition wall. The shadow, having received the light as if it were its heart, begins to fish on the floor, and the scene soon changes to a vast underwater world. There, shadows and yellow schools of fish dance across the floor and walls. As the background darkens again, the light from the branches creates windows and doors on the wall, leading to the night sky where the shadows pluck stars to light up the world.

This opportunity allows viewers to encounter Joon Yong Moon’s award-winning work that combines unique technology with storytelling, having received numerous accolades at international art festivals.

The Gwangju Media Art Platform (G.MAP) at the Gwangju Museum of Art is hosting the ‘Joon Yong Moon: Augmented Shadow’ exhibition in its fourth gallery until July 30.

Joon Yong Moon is an artist at the forefront of the augmented reality and NFT (non-fungible token) movements, working with generative art, sound visualization, and experimental media, incorporating computation into his creations.

The featured work in this exhibition is ‘Augmented Shadow: Chasing Stars in Shadow.’ This piece was nominated for the STARTS Prize by the European Commission and won the Excellence Award at the Japan Media Arts Festival. It has been officially invited to international film festivals in Kaohsiung, China, Sandbox, and Bucheon.

The exhibition guides visitors into the immersive world of interactive media art through ‘Chasing Stars in Shadow,’ a part of Joon Yong Moon’s augmented shadow series.

‘Augmented Shadow’ is a result of fusing technology and art to create new immersive content. It uses a special tracker device to detect the viewer’s position, overlaying virtual shadows on real shadows according to the viewer’s movements, demonstrating experimental art.

The shadows and light in the space move according to the light in the tracker held by the viewer, giving them a sense of being in a virtual space. Shadows calling out to viewers from various points on the walls lead to the next stage of the story as they approach. This work integrates light, shadow, three-dimensional illusion, and immersive environments, making all interfaces part of the narrative. Viewers meet and interact directly with the characters in the story through the light, fully experiencing the immersion of the work.

Notably, this exhibition includes specially made modeling and textures adapted to the G.MAP exhibition space, allowing viewers to enjoy high-definition video. Additionally, the video content features animations and stories unique to G.MAP.

This exhibition stands out for its interactive storytelling, which continuously evolves based on the viewer’s perspective and location, unlike traditional interactive technologies fixed at a single point.

A Gwangju Media Art Platform official stated, “Through this exhibition, we aim to reflect on the future and significance of augmented art for ‘everyone,’ not just a select few capable of handling the technology,” adding, “We ask for the interest of many citizens as it is designed for all ages to enjoy and experience without difficulty.”
/Hee Yoon Jung, star@namdonews.com