Kimsooja, 〈To Breathe: Bottari〉, 2013. Mixed media installation with 〈The Weaving Factory〉, 2004–2013, the artist’s voice performance sound, 5.1 channel, 9:14, loop. Photoⓒ Jaeho Chong

As part of Yorkshire Sculpture International, Yorkshire Sculpture Park Chapel presents 《To Breathe》. Kimsooja's practice references and takes inspiration from traditional forms of female labour and craft, such as sewing and weaving, to investigate the role of women. Making quilts with her mother was the initial stimulus to adopting needlework as part of her practice, and since then (1983) the artist has travelled extensively, exploring the cultural importance of clothing, textiles and the associated acts of making. For over 25 years the artist has used the form and idea of 'bottari' – the South Korean word for a bundle wrapped in fabric, which Kimsooja identifies as "a self-contained world – but one which, like a vessel, can contain everything materially and conceptually". Traditionally used for moving possessions from place to place, the bottari references the displacement of people. Kimsooja has extended the idea to incorporate larger spaces and even architecture, meaning that whole buildings could also be wrapped to alter, contain and re-shape what was within.

Further information:
https://ysp.org.uk/exhibitions/kimsooja-to-breathe
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