Sang AHA

written by Hanadi Istambouli

Sang Ha’s large scale installations, collectively known as “AHA MOTEL”, verge on the brink of pandemonium yet encompass carefully placed components presented in a playful, yet thought-provoking manner. Her multidisciplinary work is brought to life through the intermingling of everyday objects with vivacious paintings, handmade props, characters, and lights — hordes of lights. Let’s explore two rooms of “AHA MOTEL” together.

HA 모텔 6105호

마네킹, 인조잔디, 풍선인형, 해먹, 가변설치, 2019

Trendy girls are seen inside the window of "The Green Room, Room 6105” as though they are mannequins in a storefront, beckoning silently to be followed through a materialistic forest of make-believe. In front of these windows and lining the nook of a rooftop is overgrown ivy, astroturf, and a blown up doll lounging in a hammock — unbeknownst or willfully ignoring that there is truly no way to hide. Green and yellow overwhelm the scene, yet all sits starkly against the skyline of a cement habitat. The urban jungle looms in our periphery, reminding us that we are forever on display through panes of glass, remaining as distanced as perfect strangers. Should we seek solitude outdoors in a backyard retreat, a place of tranquility within the high-rise life, then we render our privacy obsolete.

AHA MOTEL Room 5242 , DANCE WITH KISS

가변설치, 2019

Viewing the innards of a Ha installation is to experience a psychedelic journey: the madness of “Dark Side of the Moon” meets the energetic vibrations of “Barbie Girl. She took our collective memories and deconstructed them into objects and color. Textures from metallic to plush, organic shapes, bright lights, fairy-esque cutouts, and paintings on the walls are syncopated with Ha’s unique perspective. An underlying note resonates quietly amidst the cataclysm of artifacts; there is emotion in impermanence.

AHA MOTEL Room 5242 , DANCE WITH KISS

가변설치, 2019

Ha’s Motel is a space to stumble down a visual rabbit hole. In "AHA MOTEL Room 5242 (DANCE WITH KISS)" (above), considerably sized beings of fantasy are strewn amidst her display. The large painted walls bend, as if deflecting reality itself, covered with the doodles of daydreams. Our eyes can easily chase a reflection, first bouncing from the streamers to the wall with colors of a 1970’s flower power vintage poster that eventually leaves us wondering in which dimension we exist. Are we reliving a love affair? Fairy lights and toys are arranged in such a way it resembles a moment left behind, but everything dances around like secrets expelling from an energized heart.

"LOVE MOMENTS:KISS"

K현대 미술관 전시전경

Motels welcome short term visitors, and are especially alluring to meetings hush-hush in nature. The focal point of room 5242 is a bunk bed, centered in front of a large screen on which spray-painted inspired shapes shift loudly behind a quiet ghost. The trippy organic forms morph and transform prismatically. The ghost is comprised of lace and is illuminated by light (above and below). It sits expressionless, has two large bejeweled eyes and 4 appendages reaching from beneath its body like the souls of lovers entwined. Some of our most intimate moments later become distant, transparently sewn together with the fabric of ever fading memories. Below are two pillows caught in the moment of a kiss.

"LOVE MOMENTS:KISS"

K현대 미술관 전시전경

The result of Ha’s creative process opens avenues to be explored for the curious. As we blink ourselves back into the orderly world everything seems a bit muted and sedated in comparison. To create a space that punctuates our momentary human condition requires the intersection of intelligence and ingenuity.