Society. Spaces. Screens

Abstract

This paper examines the intersection of media spectacle and urban space in Seoul, a ‘communicative city’ characterized by its high degree of media saturation. Focusing on the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), a controversial public space designed by Zaha Hadid, the paper analyzes how ‘massive media’, which is marked by large-scale projections and high-resolution media façades, enables monumental and iconic architectural manifestations within specific historical and cultural contexts. The paper critically examines several site-specific projection works at the DDP with particular emphasis on two noteworthy media art pieces: Yiyun Kang’s Geofuture (2023), a 3D video-mapping initiative, and Je Baak’s Lucid Dream: Five Colors (2021), a meta-bio projection work. By analyzing these works with reference to ‘the materiality of atmospheric screening’, ‘the surface of membrane screen’, and ‘the techno-sublime’, the paper shows the transition in screen practices from conventional ‘screen-interfaces’ to more immersive and expansive ‘screen-scapes’. In doing so, the paper seeks to elucidate some theoretical implications for understanding the evolving link among media, architecture, and urban experience within the key public spheres of Seoul.