Bullnori
Kyungju Park
In Korean culture, a bursting flame was seen as a symbol of vitality, and its destructive power was seen as a purification, repelling evil. In this context, the artist saw the act of burning as a positive ritual that sublimates suffering. The three-minute black-and-white video, shot by the artist herself, features the Korean folk religion of “Soji” (the act of burning paper and floating it into the air). It's a performance that sends the real-world problems that cause suffering (in the artist's case, piles of bills) to the other world. This symbolic meaning of fire is most visible in traditional Korean folklore. Images from “Bullnori,” a traditional Korean ritual to pray for good fortune and well-being, are synthesized in the virtual space created with a game engine to become a new form of ritual.