Shoes Tree, an art installation made of 30,000 worn-out shoes near Seoul Station, has elicited mixed reviews since its unveiling Saturday.
“At first, I thought it was a pile of garbage. Looking at it close, it is surely a garbage mountain and smells really bad,” said Kim Gui-ri, a 49-year-old Seoul citizen, participating in a city-run program to discover and promote public art in the capital.
A citizen takes a photo of installation art Shoes Tree in Seoul Station on Saturday. (Kim Da-sol/The Korea Herald)
A work of garden designer and environmental artist Hwang Ji-hae, Shoes Tree is cascading tree bushes made up of worn-out shoes, plants and flowers.
“The idea of recycling worn-out materials is creative, but since it was created as public art, whose artistic meaning is to be appreciated by citizens, I personally think Shoes Tree is not serving its purpose correctly,” a local freelance art journalist Cho Sook-hyun said.
Meanwhile, some pointed to the true definition of art.
“Since art doesn’t have to look beautiful all the time, I think Shoes Tree, as art itself, can portray different perspectives of appreciating art,” said freelance artist surnamed Kim.
Artist Hwang explained to the Korea Herald that she wanted to throw a question about our consumption-oriented lifestyle, by giving a new life and meaning to dumped shoes. It was also meant to remember the historical significance of the Yeomcheon-gyo handmade shoes street near Seoul Station.
“Through shoes, something we wear every day and an easy material to get, I wanted to show people that everyday material can also become part of art,” she said.
A partipant of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s “Arts on Seoul’s street found by citizens” takes a photo of installation art Shoes Tree in Seoul Station on Saturday. (Kim Da-sol/The Korea Herald)
The Seoul Metropolitan Government’s “Arts on Seoul’s street found by citizens” is comprised of 101 Seoul residents on a mission to find and promote the hidden artistic gems of Seoul.
Groups of participants are joined by field experts and art connoisseurs to find improvement points and lesser-known art in the capital. Their discoveries are shared via the city’s official social media channels until the program ends in July.
By Kim Da-sol (
ddd@heraldcorp.com)