Up & Coming is a series of interviews with emerging artists in various fields of arts and entertainment. ― Ed.

Art has no boundaries ― especially when it comes to digital media art.

Young media artist Nam Hye-yeon describes her work as a “true collaborative art form.”

It requires the skills and talents of many people from diverse fields ranging from computer science and engineering to business and art to create something unimaginable, yet with a social meaning that can help break down social barriers and prejudice.

“I define media art as a craft to discover new possibilities through collaborations,” said Nam, 37, in an interview. 

The U.S.-based artist, who is an associate professor of Louisiana State University’s College of Art and Design, came to Seoul recently to attend an academic forum on computer-human interfaces.

“It is inter-disciplinary. It is intensive, interactive and it needs to be persuasive,” she said.

Her artwork speaks for itself.

“Kiss Controller,” an interactive media artwork that allows participants to direct characters in video games by kissing their partners, is an example of successful teamwork. Meanwhile, “Please Smile,” which displays waving robotic hands at people who smile via motion sensors, required professionals from the fields of robotics, engineering and sensor technology.

The concept and philosophy behind her work has been consistent and focuses on interpersonal relationships. For instance, “Please Smile” tells people to be open-minded in a relationship. The robotic hands may look frightening, but if you open up and smile at them, they will return the favor by being friendly.

Nam’s self-performance digital video artwork, in which she seemed to be walking backwards while everyone else walks straight on city streets, carries a similar meaning by asking people: “Why do we judge and have prejudice against others with different values than our own?”

“It’s not about right or wrong. The message I wanted to send was that people are different. The way we think could be different, and the way we act could be different,” she explained.

Some of her works were shown at exhibition centers including the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.

Using the latest technology is also a big part of her work in sending social messages. It is why Nam continues studying to keep up-to-date with technology ― she has a Ph.D. in digital media with a minor in computer science from the Georgia Institute of Technology and an MFA in digital media from the Rhode Island School of Design.

She said she is currently contemplating how to create art using big data technology, and is preparing an outdoor media art exhibition in Korea in collaboration with colleagues from architecture and engineering.

Nam said in the end, she seeks to interact with, persuade and move her audience through her digital artwork, quoting her favorite words from African-American writer and artist Maya Angelou: “People will forget what you said, what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

By Park Hyong-ki (hkp@heraldcorp.com)