Weak Force 3

Research background:
There has been a significant rise in group-based and collective art practice that challenges conventional methodologies and ideas of individual authorship in art. These enterprises approach art as an expanded form of intellectual activity by capitalizing on group dynamics and collective research.

Research contribution:

The Weak Force 3 builds upon previous iterations of Weak Force projects by the UFT collaborative group. The artists produced a sound and text installation in response to highly disruptive building works that were occurring next door to Zero Gallery at the time. A high-fidelity sound recording of drilling, pile driving and small-scale explosions from the construction site were resituated back into the gallery space through large-scale speakers. Gallery visitors were given the opportunity to switch the sound off or on by pushing an interactive foot pedal. This sound component was accompanied by contemporary Korean and Mandarin vinyl text, which was adhered to the walls and floor of the gallery. All texts referred to sound either metaphorically, metonymically or literally. Professor Suh Yongsun executed a painted text work on the gallery floor during the opening event, which discussed sound in the context of Confucian philosophy.

Research significance:
The significance of this research is that group-based practice was used to extend and combine the practices of eight artists working across five different continents. The artist¿s created a site-responsive installation that directly addressed the situation at hand, turning a situation of apparent adversity into a creative discourse.