A South Korean artist based in Germany came close to throwing away his impressive three-by-four-meter cardboard sculpture after an exhibition ended, but has now decided to give it away for free instead. Vishnoir Kim, a sculptor, filmmaker, and performance artist originally from Seoul, had planned to return his meticulously crafted artwork to where he originally sourced its materials - the recycling bin.
The 48-year-old artist spent two weeks creating the massive sculpture using recycled cardboard and a hot glue gun for an exhibition at the Karlskirche in Kassel. After the exhibition concluded, Kim saw no problem with returning the materials back into the recycling system, viewing the process as part of the artwork's natural lifecycle. The sculpture, titled "No Response," had been a centerpiece of the recent group exhibition by the artist collective Amöeba.
Jens Domes, the cultural coordinator of the Karlskirche, convinced Kim to reconsider his disposal plans. Domes argued that the hanging figures had generated significant attention among visitors during the exhibition and that it would be a shame to destroy such an impressive work. "It was remarkable to see how Vishnoir Kim built the figure virtually in the air based on a drawing," Domes explained, emphasizing the unique construction process and artistic value of the piece.
Kim, who came to Kassel in 2014 as an already trained sculptor to study fine arts at the Art Academy, was persuaded by Domes' arguments. The artist had also completed graduate studies in moving image at the Kassel Art Academy. After storing the cardboard sculpture in the church's gallery for several days, Kim has now moved it to the south wing of the Kulturbahnhof for a new group exhibition called "Reflection/Surface" that opens on Saturday, November 29.
Visitors can view Kim's work free of charge at the Kulturbahnhof from November 29 through December 21, with daily viewing hours from 2 PM to 6 PM. After the exhibition ends, the artist plans to give away the sculpture to anyone who can provide it with a suitable home. Potential recipients - whether companies, associations, institutions, or individuals - will need to have significant space and high ceilings to accommodate the large-scale artwork.
Interested parties should contact Jens Domes, who will facilitate communication with the artist. However, Kim remains pragmatic about the sculpture's fate, stating that if no suitable recipient is found, he will proceed with his original plan to discard it. "I collected the material from old paper containers anyway," Kim noted. "Trash that becomes art can become trash again." This philosophical approach reflects the artist's view of the temporary nature of art and the cyclical relationship between waste and creativity.
