REGENERATOR
(2021)
Art Gallery of New South Wales
(March - Sept 2021)
Sydney, Australia
Commissioned by the Art Gallery of New South Wales for The National 3: New Australian Art.
Curator/s:
Erin Vink and Matt Cox
Photography:
Felicity Jenkins at Art Gallery of New South Wales
Collaborators
Sound: Lee Hahn
(March - Sept 2021)
Sydney, Australia
Commissioned by the Art Gallery of New South Wales for The National 3: New Australian Art.
Curator/s:
Erin Vink and Matt Cox
Photography:
Felicity Jenkins at Art Gallery of New South Wales
Collaborators
Sound: Lee Hahn
Regenerator (2021) is conceived as an elemental filter, drawing on the healing properties of charcoal to detoxify, energise, and restore the space it inhabits. Charcoal, with its deep cultural, symbolic, and historical resonance, embodies impermanence, destruction, and renewal. As a medium, it has long been used in artistic expression, cultural practices, and as an element for basic human survival (through medicine, agriculture, and culinary traditions). Its multifaceted character speaks to broader themes of human creativity, ecological interconnectivity, and the passage of time.
In Bae’s native South Korea, charcoal is regularly employed in purification rituals, symbolising protection and renewal. It is commonly used to cleanse the air in homes, its porous structure, allowing it to absorb impurities, making it an effective filter for air and water. In Australia, the pair’s home, new plant life emerges from charred bushland, encouraged by fire-borne cues. Over millennia, Australian flora has adapted to fire, with the process of regeneration becoming a symbol of resilience in the aftermath of destructive fires.
Central to this work is the concept of gi (also spelled qi or chi), common in Bae’s Korean heritage, it’s the belief that a vital life force flows through all things. This concept, embedded in Confucianism, Buddhism, and Shamanism, sees gi as the force binding humans, nature, and objects, imbuing them with spiritual significance and influencing well-being, balance, and harmony.
Installation view, Regenerator, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, 2021. Photographer: Felicity Jenkins
Installation view, Regenerator, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, 2021. Photographer: Felicity Jenkins
Installation view, Regenerator ephemeral interventions, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, 2021. Photographer: Felicity Jenkins
Installation view, Regenerator ephemeral interventions, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, 2021. Photographer: Felicity Jenkins
According to this belief, objects and spaces carry energy, which can affect the environment and the people within it. Informed by this understanding, Bae and Lawler observed the natural flow of energy within the Art Gallery of New South Wales, identifying the ideal position for Regenerator in the gallery. This interaction between work and environment guided the piece's design, where the alignment of charcoal rings forms a conduit for air and energy, invigorating both as they pass through the structure. The work amplifies this invisible energy field, which radiates outward, intensifying in each ring.
Much like human interactions with the natural world, Bae and Lawler are interested in the idea of individual perspective when encountering the work. Regenerator is an immersive work and encourages the viewer to experience the work from within, allowing them to navigate between the charcoal rings. From a distance, the rings appear as solid, unified shapes, but as the viewer draws closer, the surfaces reveal intricate patterns and textures. Like vision adjusting to a darkened room, subtle gradients of black emerge, and ambient light glistens off jagged charcoal shards. The repetition of form in the piece serves as a signifier of life and abundance, drawing from the natural world's cyclical rhythms.
The work’s soundscape is informed by a traditional Korean practice where charcoal is placed in sunlight to "release toxins" and rejuvenate its purifying qualities. The sunlight, as a natural energy source, is believed to restore the charcoal’s ability to absorb impurities. As the charcoal expands in the heat, it emits a clinking sound, akin to ice cracking. This sound was recorded and used to create a unique soundscape for each ring in the installation. The sound unfolds in a rhythmic cycle, slowly moving through the rings over an hour. This methodical progression builds tension, culminating in a crescendo before resetting, much like the charcoal returning to its filtering task.
Regenerator adopts a circular form reminiscent of a capillary wave, invoking ideas of causality and the balance between living entities. The circle, a recurring motif in Bae and Lawler’s practice, symbolises harmony and the cyclical nature of life. Their work frequently explores these themes, responding to the political, environmental, and social imbalances of the present day.
During the creation of Regenerator, the duo expanded these ideas beyond the gallery, creating ephemeral charcoal interventions throughout the surrounding landscape. These site-specific installations captured and cycled energy back into the work, engaging the audience with its core concept. The ephemeral nature of these installations was documented in photographic prints, presented alongside the main piece.
Regenerator was commissioned by the Art Gallery of New South Wales for The National 3: New Australian Art and was presented at the gallery in 2021.
Installation view, Regenerator ephemeral interventions, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, 2021.