In Search of Petra Genetrix

Petra Genetrix, the protagonist of the series Porosity Valley, is a migrant, mineral, and data cluster. In this lecture performance, the artist traces the origin of Petra Genetrix who constantly crosses borders, gender boundaries, and the concept of existence and nonexistence and creates her own hyperbolic mythology. While utilizing audio and video excerpts from her existing works, Ayoung Kim uses her own voice to create a verbal narrative exploring those agents who cross boundaries. By doing so, she continues to trace multifaceted crystal faces of Petra Genetrix, who is fundamentally porous and ambiguous.

Lumibolic
Lumibolic is an interactive and occupiable environment shaped from hyperbolic paraboloid geometries. Its luminous surfaces are composed of strands of glowing EL wire that modulate their form and intensity in response to sound and motion inputs. Designed to generate dynamic visual vibrations inspired by the work of Op-Artists Bridget Riley and Victor Vasarely, the piece visualizes relationships between site and visitor on a large scale.

hyperbolic cube
Departing from the Hyperbolic Cube (Thomas C. Hull, 2006), a regular octagon symmetrically folded, we produced origami studies of octagonal and cubic volumes in order to understand the spatial qualities of classic hyperbolic paraboloid shapes. The geometric principle is a folded octagon that traces the outline of a cube, creating an internal, vaulted space. After several iterations we achieved the intended balance: the asymmetry of the structure enhances the visual properties of the basic form, the duplicity between the strong orthogonal geometry and the curvilinear forms continuously altering from different viewpoints. It reveals itself in a constant, visual shift as one navigates towards and around it.

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