Universal Apparatus by Michelle Sunah Kim

This is a dreadfully long overdue write-up of the solo undergraduate exhibition which took place at UCI's Room Gallery from April 3rd to the 19th. I thought I'd share it regardless and apologies on the tardiness of it.

The solo exhibition, Universal Apparatus, by Michelle Sunah Kim displayed at UCI’s Room Gallery for two weeks after the April 3rd opening. Upon entering the gallery, the viewer sees the two small works and a rather large white wall that divides the room. The first work is a drawing of orange squares that strikingly resemble cubes. The drawing does not necessarily make sense, but does foreshadow the work on the other side of the wall. The next piece is a blue, children’s folding chair with the Target receipt showing its purchase price. It is the only readymade piece in the exhibit. On the other side of the white wall there is an enormous collection of wooden boxes, each containing one object and label. The wooden structure resembles a pyramid. The various boxes represent different events, mythical, religious and epistemological terms. There is a mixture of ancient myth and modern thought within the piece. There are references to the Roman Empire with a box dedicated to “Romulus and Remus”, ancient mythological references such as the “Mouth of Ammit”, and epistemology with “Implicate Order”. Whether it is ancient myth or modern term, they are all linked to the “Wings of Isis”; which ties into the tagline of the exhibit: The mechanism to travel through the universe on the back of Isis. Aesthetically, the work is pleasing in its symmetrical style and the wood gives it a unique appeal. The setup of the gallery adds to the effect of the piece. Initially the viewer cannot see the wooden structure upon entering and having to cross the wall adds to its mythical effect. Having the readymade piece on a pedestal with perfect lighting made it go from simply being a readymade into a truly interesting object to view. The drawing was as close to the wall as possible, which minimized any shadow casting from the gallery lights that would have changed the view on the image. Overall, the works were pleasing to look at and the various outside references made for a lot of thought. Plus, the attraction of one of the boxes containing live scorpions is always a treat.