Ogsusu Bar, 2024, MMCA Goyang Residency, South Korea, Photos: FGSR, Niu, Jun-Qiang and Imagezoom, Provided by: MMCA Residency Goyang
Ogsusu Bar
2024
Bar serving steamed corn and corn tea, spoken text over speakers, floor: linen on seats 120 x 200 cm, ceramics 80 x 40 x 40 cm with eaten corn stems, wall: handwritten story ‚corn‘ by Bangjoo Kim on papers, 2x prints with ink on linen 100 x 200 cm, sketches on wall
‚Ogsusu Bar‘ is a corn-serving space presented during the MMCA Goyang Open Studio Days 2024 https://www.mmca.go.kr/eng/exhibitions.
This collaborative project by Future Grandpa’s Secret Recipe and Bangjoo Kim celebrated their reunion after many years of distance, highlighting the immaterial values and temporal qualities of their friendship. Four years after an initial meeting at the MMCA Goyang residency program was hindered by the Covid-19 pandemic, the two finally met to create this social space.
Before entering, visitors were greeted by the fragrant scent of steaming corn accompanied by an ever-present voice narrating Kim’s fictional story, ‘Corn’. Read aloud by Stoll in Korean, the story underwent a subtle transformation. The pace slowed down as Stoll, a Korean language learner, struggled with the pronunciation and intonation. This created a unique listening experience, where the focus shifted from clear comprehension to the nuances of sound and the distortion of meaning.
Kim’s narrative recounts a year spent observing a cornfield outside the MMCA Goyang Residency. Blending observation and fiction, the story unfolds a journey of on-site experiences and unexpected human encounters. It details the meticulous process of attempting to identify the cornfield’s owner, leading to a series of humorous and poignant interactions with local residents.
„요하네스의스튜디오와김방주의스튜디오창문에는하나의풍경이존재했는데,우리가‘밭뷰view’라고비아냥댔던그것이다.불과이른봄만해도아지랑이와함께거름냄새가스튜디오에흘러들어왔었다.작물들이자라기시했을때는간간히뿌리는농약때문에뛰어가창문을닫기일쑤였다.어느샌가우리의창문을통해보이는거대한땅에는언제생겼는지알수없는검정비닐이일렬횡대로쳐졌고,알수없는작물이자라기시작했다.밭의전면부를뒤덮있는검정비닐에서자라나고있는작물이옥수수라는것을알게되는데는그리오랜시간이걸리지않았다.”
„There was a single landscape from the windows of Johannes’ studio and Bangjoo’s studio, which we sarcastically called the ‘field view’. Even in the early spring, the smell of fertilizer would drift into the studio along with the chilly wind. When the crops had begun to grow, we would often run to close the windows because of the occasional pesticide spraying. Before we knew it, the vast field visible through our windows was covered in a row of black plastic sheets of unknown origin, and unknown crops began to grow. It didn’t take long for us to realize that the crops growing under the black plastic sheets covering the entire field were corn.“
Departing from the story ‘corn’ the ‚Ogsusu Bar‘ encouraged visitors to attach the listening experience with their senses and appreciate the sensory processing of smelling, hearing, seeing, tasting and touching. Just as corn got physically transformed within the human body, the non physical sensual experience became tangible through the shared experience. The shared experience of savoring the steamed corn and corn tea initiated dialogues among visitors, prompting them to share personal memories and bodily responses.
Beyond the aroma and the narrated story, the space incorporated visual elements, including prints and objects. Departing from the fictional aspects of the story, these elements drifted away from the narrative, leaving space for the visitors‘ own interpretations. Two large linen-wrapped mattresses provided comfortable seating areas for listening, eating, or simply observing. These intimate corners were adorned with sketches exploring the intertwined existence of corn and humans. Large pieces of linen, dipped in ink and folded, extended this idea, mimicking patterns found in nature and culture. Amidst the floor, collected and eaten corn stems were arranged around a central ceramic vessel painted with ink.
Through the act of sharing corn, ‚Ogsusu Bar‘ was an invitation to slow down and appreciate the immaterial qualities of these sensory experiences. Rooted in a long-lasting friendship and the energy of a long-awaited reunion, the project aimed to delve into profound themes of shared immaterial existence – the fleeting moments and shared experiences that arise within the social space between our relationships.
Thanks to the MMCA Goyang team and to the artists for their support realizing the space: 문지영, 이수지, 조혜진, 조경재, 감동환