We have seen Theo Jansen blow our minds with his walking kinetic sculptures that he calls ‘a new form of life’. Now its time to get whimsical with Korean kinetic artist U-Ram Choe, whose lineage includes a scientist grandfather and sculptor parents.
He was recently housed at the Autodesk Workshop at Pier 9 in San Francisco, where he was working as Artist in Residence.
Taking advantage of the wide range of digital fabrication and additive manufacturing tools at the workshop, Choe’s preferred software was the Autodesk Inventor software. The biggest reason why he likes this software is that he can simulate how a certain piece will move in Inventor. Before using this software he had to make the part and then test it out. Quite a tedious process.
Considering himself as a 100% artist first and then an innovator, Choe reflects how motion is a part of life. Mimicking the natural motion of life is inspirational and marrying technology with art is a high point for this shy artist.
In this video above, Choe talks in depth about his work and how we should not take his Kinetic Sculptures for granted. You can skip to the part where he recounts an incident where he got drunk and jammed his finger right in the centre of the Chakra Mandala work. He presumed the motion of the parts would cease, but sadly they didn’t. Choe ended up with a bloody finger, a stain on the sculpture and an ugly clot. Note to self – no drinking and playing with kinetic sculptures.
We love the way Choe’s works uses technology in such a way that it’s subtle and yet an integral part of the piece. Here is a look at one of his outstanding creations from 2009, Una Lumino Portentum.
Scientific name: Anmopispl Avearium cirripedia
Parts: Uram
metallic material, motor, LED, CPU board, polycarbonate
360(w) x 180(h) x 48(d)cm.
Bonus Videos – How to make Kinetic Sculptures
