jaemee studio

Project Status : Completed

Year : 2021

Type : Public Art

The Lily project was designed and installed by Jaemee Studio during their artist’s residency period at the I-Park Foundation, located in East Haddam, Connecticut. Inspired by lily pads floating at a pond adjacent to Eightmile River, the Lily Project encourages visitors to have a colorful and playful interaction with the monumental nature.

The project consists of 13 large lily pads in various sizes that are made out of insulation XPS foams and painted with waterproofed exterior coat paints. Each lily pads are composed of two layers of circular platform laminated and extended surrounding edges to accommodate weight of the occupant entering the pad and its buoyancy.

Although the surface of the lily platforms are colored in eye-catching colors, the edge of the pads extending out above the platform surfaces are colored with similar green of the existing natural lily pads at the site. As visitors approach the pond from a distance, one would not distinguish the project clearly as the edge color of green naturally camouflages itself within the context. Strong colors of contrasting hues emerging out of serene scenery is only revealed to the viewer as they get closer to the project.

Composition and aggregation of pure circle forms floating blends in with the landscape, yet celebrates itself with diverse eye-catching colors once the visitors arrive at the project.

The diameters of the platform vary between 12 inches and up to 8 feet, where four larger pads can be occupied by visitors. The aim of this temporary floating art installation is to invite visitors to enjoy the beauty of the pond from its interior while emerging themselves as part of an art piece.

The 13 lily pads are tied together in a network and anchored to the bottom of the pond. The composition of aggregation changes itself in response to the pond’s current and wind direction. Once the anchor is raised up, the group of lily pads continuously travels around the pond in circulation.

Project Status: Built

Year : 2019

Client : Domaine de Chaumont-sur-loire , Festival International Des Jardins

Each year, international garden festival at Chaumont-sur-loire invites designers around the world to build garden under different themes. Jaemee studio’s 20 doorways was selected to be built part of 2019 edition, “Jardins de paradis”

Paradise often refers to heaven, place of exceptional happiness and delight. 

They are places without one’s direct encounter, but rather results of one’s fantasy and imagination. As a conception of imaginary minds, it could be thousands of different places according to individuals. It could be blue ocean, endless prairie filed, field of fully bloomed flowers, garden of Eden, or even mysterious spaces like galaxy. Anyplace one can imagine.  

 We interpreted paradise as collection of unreal and fantastic landscapes one can possibly imagine. We used “Door” as a method (or tool) to introduce people to sneak a glance at multiple paradises at once .  

 “ Doorways” is a garden composed of 12 doors that are laid on the ground in a grid. Exposure to what is behind individual doors vary as some of them are closed while others are fully or partially opened.  

Visitors encounter a collection of adjacently placed landscape of paradise. Mixture of living plants and artificial materials create unexpected scenery of paradise by juxtaposition of familiar and common materials in unconventional way.

Similar to how Rene Magritte made ‘everyday objects shriek aloud’ in his paintings, “20 Doors” aims to create unexpected space that are composed of different yet familiar landscapes in coexistence.

 Planting selections are simple yet colorful which can be bloom throughout whole garden festival season. From fern such as Osmunda regalis, and perennial grass like Prairie Dropseed to small flowering tree, Cercis canadensis enliven each paradise with various color in elevation. Artificial materials such as mirror-like surface reflecting the sky and photo printed galaxy add surrealistic atmosphere. 

Door often symbolizes passage or transition between spaces. Standing in front of doors, one becomes curious about encounter with new space. The intention of “20 doors” garden is not to mimic and define what paradise is, but to arise curiosity and question ourselves what it could be. Is it a place filled with endless garish plantings, or are those more like up in the air as you are floating with clouds?

As you walk into the garden, gallery of doors with paradise awaits your selection.  

which door would you open ? 

Specials Thanks to :

Wolfgang Heidel & Kwang-sook Heidel

Sungkyung Lee

Wansun Han

Amy Yoon

Jihwan Bang

Mateo Yang

Dooley Choi

Yunsun Shim

Uhn Choi

David Kim

Insung Song

Hyohwan Yu - Team Hitchhiker 

JoonYong Park

Hyun Jung

Jae Lee

Beomki Lee

SunMin May Hwang

Kenya Endo

Shuangshuang Wu

Kibum Park

Nari Yoon

Project Status: Built

Year : 2019

Client : Shelter for Soul Competition

Type : Installation

Gold Prize Winner

Modern society confronts issues of marginalization of certain groups. These groups are usually socially excluded due to stereotypical presumptions about people associated with prejudiced views concerning specific religions, social, cultural, ideological and political basis of life. Both physically and psychologically isolated, groups or individuals who are marginalized often face excessive stress and psychological illness.

Peter Leonard in his book “Personality and Ideology” writes that marginalization generally includes two groups, a relatively small group of people who are voluntarily marginal (such as artists) and groups who are involuntarily socially marginal.

Person who inspired "Exhale" is both voluntarily and involuntarily marginalized person. He is a person who does not look marginalized in outer glance. He is rather an ordinary man around us, but suffers from loneliness and isolation. 
The person is my father, who is an ordinary man who works hard everyday to survive in modern society. Immigrated from Korea, my father had to work harder in a competitive environment for his family. Surrounded by people who are filled up with desire for promotion, recognition, and opportunity, he does given task from office every day and night. In the sea of heavy competition, lunch break of 30 min walking outside alone is the most valued time of his daily routine where he can try to relax and gather his thoughts for the rest of the day. He comes home after his family fell asleep, and leaves before his children wake up. He starts his day with stress and tiresome but he would not tell to anyone. Even though he is definitely considered as social “mainstream” and voluntarily jump into the modern society’s survival, however my father is involuntarily marginalized from family and personal life.
“Exhale” focuses on the process of healing modern society’s fathers. It is a minimum space that provides privacy and time to breathe.

“Exhale” is composed of two simple main structures; ; One is a "cone" painted black on the outside and covered with a carpet of moss (which could be replaced by plant wall or artificial plants) on the inside. As a visitor enters, one is invited to be surrounded by green “forest”. The visitor will be left alone, only himself, nature, and a sky above his head are elements he faces. “Exhale” is a portable architecture which provides minimum space to relax and breathe.From the outside, people would not know who is participating inside. It is a secret “breathing” room, only one person can fit.

With a busy life, rapid development and intense competition in modern society, our fathers are marginalized from the family and their personal time. "Exhale" is a shelter focused on healing the isolation and loneliness of the fathers of modern society. It is a mobile and unexpected sheltered paradise with unembellished nature surrounded breathing room in the midst of urban jungle. We intend to provide fathers with a place to stop and moment to "Exhale”.

Project Status: Under Construction

Client : Xardines de Allariz (Theme of the year : Cinema Garden )

Location : Allariz, Spain

Among numerous narrative elements of cinema, such as character, plot, conflict, resolution, dialogue, and visual, a scene is the irrefutable building block of a screenplay. The ability of a scene to actually make you feel that “you were there” is what makes a cinema a “live” emotional experience.
Gardens often play an important role in setting up different atmospheres for the scene. From romantic movie, Pride and Prejudice (2005) featuring traditional English gardens in Wiltshire to Thrillers like The Shining(1980)’s frozen hedge maze in isolated hotel mansion deep inside Colorado mountain, movies use different types of landscape garden to intentionally convey and maximize emotions of their plot and characters.

While some movies construct scene through different gardens, we explored inversely how a garden could be reconstructed, inspired by a movie.

Our proposal, “Chim Chimney” is a cinematically themed garden, inviting people into the realm of fantasy by recreating and reinterpreting an atmosphere of a film.
Specifically inspired by the movie, Mary Poppins (1964), “Chim Chimney” recreates magical and iconic scene of Mary Poppins singing “Chim Chim Chree” with Burt, the chimney sweeper, on the roof with her flying umbrella.

Walking around the garden, visitors encounter a series of chimneys and roofs on their eye level as if they are walking and flying over the roofs. These mundane objects we see around us in daily lives become extraordinary and imaginative by placing them in unexpected elevation.

Performing as planters, Chimneys highlight each plants strategically placed inside. Various heights of vegetation maximize dynamic floral experience along varied elevations. Roofs are made out of simple plywood frame, bricks, shingles and roof tiles that are assimilating with atmosphere of surrounding building context in the site.

“Chim Chimney” is an iconic cinematic garden that can be enjoyed by various group of people, regardless of their age and one’s whereabout. It brings memory of the film for those who have seen the movie, and introduce it to those who have not. It is a scenic stage orchestrated by various plants and chimneys that allows visitors to become main actors and actresses themselves singing along Mary Poppins.

Project Status: Built

Year : 2019-2020

Client : ICEHOTEL Sweden

Type : Installation / Hotel / Sculpture

Santorini is a city full of wonder and mystery where you can forget everyday cares in its beautiful environment. The cubic white houses and blue domes create a breathtaking view of the island that blends with the warm weather and the deep ocean. Our proposal White Santorini brings the experience of Santorini in the opposite weather.

Mainly built by snice, the whole design massings are pure white which resembles Santorini cityscape. Inspired by the architectural style of the island, the edges of the stairs, walls and houses are sculpted to be filleted. Like how you see front scene and backdrop perspective in Santorini, scale of windows and walls diminishes as walking further towards the inside of the room.

White Santorini plays with idea of completely opposite contextual relation, yet creates visually connected spatial atmosphere through abstraction of geometry and paradoxical use of material. A cold and soft snice creates complete opposite materiality as Santorini's hard yet warm plaster. Surrounded by a frozen landscape, White Santorini shares completely different atmosphere as Santorini’s caldera and blue ocean. A night at White Santorini brings a surreal experience that shares an air of playful contradictions and mystery.

Project Status : Completed, Semi-Finalist

Program: Memorial Competition

Location : New York, NY

Client : Hurricane Maria Memorial

Throughout society and culture around the world, bells have a multitude of meanings and purposes. It is often used to inform beginnings and endings. It functions to convey information like alarm. Furthermore, bells have a deeper spiritual meaning. It is often considered as a sacred object facilitating spiritual communication, representing as holy power, and symbolizing the eternity. Bells emit sound from their movement. The movement can be initiated by human or natural forces like wind. When the wind gets subtle, they slow down until they become stagnant. No matter what caused their movement, they always go back to their original point in the end. Bells resemble the resiliency of Puerto Rican Community after Hurricane Maria; Although the most fearful storm threatened them, they have united to recover from tragedy. They stood together to go back to their original point. Each bell symbolizes individuals while the large bell which is composed of thousands of bells indicates the community. The Silent bell is a memorial that pays tribute to both one community as a group and individuals. It is an expression of unbreakable bond of a community that shares crossed boundaries from Puerto Rico to New York. In remembrance of victims and casualties, and in celebration of the renewal of the communities in New York and Puerto Rico, thousands of bells of the memorial creates silent harmonic melody.

A playground is defined as a place where a particular group of people choose to enjoy themselves. It often includes playful rides and equipments such as slide, seesaw, and swing, stimulating one’s physical excitement through imminent change of heights and velocity. Unlike prevalent forms of playgrounds, Our proposal “Ted” is not a playground with immediate physical  amusement, but a comfortable and soothing ground that brings delight through one’s memory of comfort playing with toys.

Covered with sod lawn, “Ted” is topographic land art mimicking form of a teddy bear in sublime scale. Resembling silhouette and form of a familiar toy, the garden incites one’s nostalgic childhood memory of playing with toys, who they might have often played with, or some times sat quietly and listened while they confided their dreams and sorrows.

Within the garden composed of eight landform mounds with varied sizes, visitors can climb up, sit, and lay down comfortably on grassy hills as if they are hugged by a teddy bear.  The juxtaposition of unexpectedly familiar form in immense scale with calm surrounding trees and landscape of the site brings curiousness and surprise.

One does not need to be a teddy bear lover, or learn how to play with it to embrace “Ted.” The garden welcomes visitors of all ages and persuades everyone to sit on one’s own playful childhood memories.

Project Status: Completed

Selected Winner of Han River Idea Competition

Year : 2019

Client : City of Seoul

Project Status: Completed

Year : 2020

Client : City of Seoul

Collaboration with : LMTLS

Wavescape is a winning design proposal for the revitalization of the abandoned, disconnected urban area along the honggye stream in seoul, korea. aiming to transform and redefine the current environment. In collaboration with LMTLS architecture, we conceived the idea of the undulating surface, thinking of it as a social magic carpet that connects the different levels of stream and city.

We proposed the Wavescape as an intensified landscape structure, with its fluid design producing new urbanized spaces, both interior and exterior. the project is essentially an extension of a street and a park. it is not a separate, freestanding building detached from the surrounding context, but an active mutation between architecture and landscape.

the curvature of the surface varies to maximize accessibility and connection between stream and city. in this way, visitors and neighboring communities are encouraged to explore the structure and spend more time within its limits. the wavy roof profile in section and elevation helps the integration of the structure with the natural environment, allowing direct contact with the honggye stream.

Project Status : Completed

Year : 2019

Type : Proposal

Koi are traditional symbols of luck in Chinese culture, with each variety representing different aspects of life such as love, wealth or happiness.

Situated in one of the most diverse town in the United States, New York City's Chinatown is a center of diverse race, gender, and language. Inspired by colorful koi that represents a different aspect of life, “Tale of Koi” composed of numerous koi that are different in size, color, and pattern. 

Upon entering from bowery, one giant koi invites visitors to “Tale of Koi”. The size of koi decreases and becomes a heard as one approaches to pell street, heart of Chinatown. The change in aspects from a large single koi to a group of fish symbolizes process of harmonization of each individual from different culture. 

The color of pond changes from blue to red, which resembles reflection of sky that changes from sunrise to sunset. New York City is a koi pond with full of personal stories. Tale of Koi tells story of immigrants who moved from China and many other countries. Through affection, love, and friendship, koi harmonize in New York City.

Floral analogies have been employed to describe various attributes of femininity in art and literature throughout the history of mankind. The beauty of a woman is often compared to the life of a flower, as it begins with a small enclosed bud , becomes a mature flower with full blossom at peak of its beauty, and later becomes wilted stems after the petals fall. Starlets in the competition are like flowers that were never been bloom, where their celebrity dream has never been achieved with fame. Our proposal “Blooms” mimics blossom of flower not only through its symbolic physical form, but also through a delicate circulation and experience around the installation that redeems and celebrate the beauty of each forgotten starlet.

“Blooms” is a hanging art installation, an aggregate composition of 30 Petals which spotlights each starlets. Each petal is a hollow rectangular light wood structure composed of various angle with contrasting color scheme on its surface; pure dark on the exterior, and glamorous primary color on the interior. At the end of each petal, semi transparent vinyl with printed starlets’ portrait is attached. Variation of interior color scheme and elevation hung from the ceiling structure of individual petals enlivens each starlet’s photography with colorful and immersive visitor experience. The size and scale of “Blooms” create an atmosphere of wonder and delight. “Blooms” allows visitors to observe, discover and reveal beauty of each starlet. The experience of visiting bloom petals are not merely approaching a symbolic art object, but rather giving a moment of appreciation for unbloomed beauties.

Year : 2020

Location : New York

Type : Installation Proposal

The Wonder Horse is a play structure that resembles mythical creature, Trojan Horse. Mainly made out of wooden structure/ painted wood slats, The Wonder Horse is a colorful wheeled wooden horse that can be rolled around the beautiful woods by visitors. We suggest visitors to play “Battle Game” with foam swords and wooden shields.

Monumentality of a forest is often associated with scale of its members’ visible components; trunk and canopy. However, foundation of those elements is often neglected due to its subterranean position; root. Our proposal “Root x Play” discovers and reinterpret the green forest’s source of monumentality, by mimicking and abstracting roots of existing trees in Site 13 and elevating them onto ground level which interacts with visitors.

Configuration of the project is laid out as a series of bars in radial direction around the tree trunk to reflect the idea of typical exposed tree root system. Each bars of reinterpreted root veins vary in height and colors, which perform as not only occupiable bench under trees, but also colorful steps children can easily climb up and play. Larger scale bar can also acts as platform where visitors can lounge and relax.

Made out of simple lumber structure, the whole project can be easily assembled and fully recycled after deconstruction. “Root x Play” becomes a symbolic landscape scale object, yet possesses playful elements inducing human scale interaction with the site and extending one’s visit. It is a piece highlighting monumentality of unseen foundation of existing trees, but also a playful and educational art installation.

Project Status : Completed

Type : Proposal

Year : 2019

Soda Museum Installation Proposal. Artificial Nature: Containment of Nature in Concrete

ART INSTALLATION PROPOSAL

Project Status : Completed

Year : 2019

Type : Proposal

Extending the vision of “Seoul MARU”, a public platform that people can witness surrounding’s rich history, “Exhale” is a living art installation that arouses site’s historical significance and emphasizes each historical moment. Situated in the midst of panoramic view from Chosun Dynasty to Contemporary, “Exhale” intend to allow people to revisit and create unexpected program space with unembellished nature. 

“Exhale” is composed of two simple main structures; One is a "cone" that consists of stacked planters. Seasonal vegetation is to be planted only inside of cone planters. From the exterior of the installation, dark painted cone standing in the middle of Maru elevates one’s curiosity. 

Upon entering, one is invited to the secret floral forest. It is unexpected sheltered paradise that people can lounge in the midst of urban jungle. 1/4 of cone is opened to function as an entrance and a lens that frames view of surrounding heritage of historical importance.  

Another main structure is “turntable” where the cone is to be sat on. The turntable let “Exhale”  rotate per needs of different events. Rotation of pavilion in specific angle creates opportunities for space intended to create direct dialogue with our past culture. It also allows various programs; from large group activities such as music festivals and lecture, to intimate and informal group activities such as lunch hours or dating time. 

Resting on agglomeration of rich histories, the existing condition of Maru has created vastness of open scale with surrounding view. However, what it lacked was specificity towards its context. Exhale is adaptable, reconfigurable space imagination with simple mechanism of rotation, creating versatile activities with its configuration.

It is not only an urban breathing room to relax and heal from busy contemporary society, but an apparatus that welcomes citizens to celebrate each moment of history by visualizing and transforming Maru’s space.

Monumentality of a forest is often associated with scale of its members’ visible components; trunk and canopy. However, foundation of those elements is often neglected due to its subterranean position; root.

Our proposal “Root Forest” discovers the green forest’s source of monumentality, by exposing one of the tree roots and creating a field of infinite illusion.

Its components consist of a driftwood root surrounded by four one sided mirror walls facing inward. From the exterior of the installation, four simple 3 meters high walls stand in the middle of forest like totem poles, elevating one’s curiosity. As visitors enter the installation, they confront infinite forest of roots which are juxtaposed with real forests outside.

“Root Forest” is a secret room which can be seen as a simple monolithic walls from outside, while creating a field of illusion as if one is standing in middle of an infinite field of root. The installation elevates a concept of monumentality not from creating a single monumental physical object, but from visual illusion and human curiosity.