Duk-eum is an interactive installation that envelops audiences in the soundless fall of splashing particles. Korean traditional singers used to train their vocals in waterfalls in the pursuit of ‘Duk-eum (득음, 得音)’, meaning ‘attaining sound’. Soundless sound in your mind is what you attain from the work.

‘Haeundae’, a network video installation offered the visual motif of the work. During the exhibition period of ‘Haeundae’, I could observe waves smashing and running through rugged rocks for a long time. I was fascinated by the waves, and it made me design an algorithm to express the impression. The other visual motif was ink wash paintings. A spectator displayed on the screen looks like a large mountain with many valleys drawn in an ink wash painting. ‘Not drawing’ is one of expressive techniques of traditional ink wash painting. A spectator in front of the work is not drawn on the screen but s/he can recognize the blank as him/herself.

Related Works: Duk-eum (2003) | Haeundae | Falls

Technical Adviser: Jongwook Jin and Jaegon Lee