Memory, side of over the sea

11×4.5×5m
pipe, fiber

Everyone, at one point, has brought a seashell up to one’s ear, hoping to hear the sounds of the ocean. The desire to hear waves breaking on the shore and the roar of the ocean emanating from inside the shell stems from a longing to recapture an experience of the sea. The shell’s spiraling form allows one to let go and submerge oneself in memories. Standing inside the shell, the artists suggest, offers a viewer an opportunity to re-live the experience of one’s own birth. The soft curves recall the warm embrace of one’s mother, allowing one to feel fully engulfed and surrounded by love. Though we cannot truly remember the moment of our birth our bellies and wombs serve as a reminder of this warm place from whence we came. The artists hope to offer the unique chance to recapture the experience of the cradling warmth of the womb. The womb’s warm embrace is echoed in the spiral forms of the trumpet shell, combining the natural form of the seashell with the experience of motherly love and birth.

The work celebrates the centennial anniversary of Songdo beach and its rich history. Songdo, often referred to as the Napels of the East, has offered its visitors the endless love of a mother. As Songdo’s waves have continued to lap at the shore so will the shell forever resonate the sound of the sea. The work, with its sinuous forms and ocean sounds, is homage to Songdo beach and to the mother’s embrace.