Anyone who claims to be an art lover today is likely familiar with interactive media arts, yet often finds that these works are not genuinely “interactive.” Merely swinging arms or walking before a screen for moments does not suffice. However, a work created by Jihoon Byun in the exhibition “Humming Froths, Breathing Silence” at the Bucheon Art Bunker B39 in Bucheon, South Korea, transcends typical experiences of media technology in art. Set within a repurposed garbage incineration plant, it challenges and redefines interactivity. In a former incinerator that is 39 meters tall, visitors are not just passive observers but integral to the artwork. 

Standing still or moving slowly, every gesture of the visitors is mirrored on the wall. Their silhouettes are accurately projected and interact dynamically with the graphics cascading from above, breaking the graphical mass into millions of particles, reminiscent of froths. This seamless interaction generates such a palpable experience that visitors feel they can almost touch it, even without physical contact. The remnant odor and the lingering chill of the space intensify this feeling, raising questions about bodily experience and sparking a dialogue between virtuality and reality. Although visitors do not physically reach anything, they blend into the mirrored figure’s experience, reminding one of the discovery of mirror neurons by neuroscientist Vittorio Gallese—beings can perceive and imagine as if they are acting, just by seeing others act. 

Here, Byun’s work further shows that these perceptions can merge, becoming indistinguishable and enhanced by virtual technology within a physical environment. This realization astonishes audiences, suggesting that the tactile world is expanding into the virtual world, redefining our notion of touch. Pushing the boundaries of media art, the unique fusion of history, technology, and artistic expression within this gigantic architecture highlights the potential of virtual physicality, a concept we may increasingly confront in the future.

hl.