« OUT OF TIME », AN INSTALLATION BY MATHIAS KISS FOR WOOYOUNGMI

By Crash redaction

WOOYOUNGMI AND MATHIAS KISS COLLABORATE ON AN ARTISTIC PROJECT FOR PARISIAN BOUTIQUE

Walking by the Rue Saint-Claude in Paris’ 3rd arrondissement, you might have noticed a « frozen » installation on display in the windows of the Wooyoungmi store. It is the work of artist Mathias Kiss, who collaborated with the Korean menswear House in order to embody the Spring-Summer 2016 collection. It is the 8th time creative directors Madame Woo and Katie Chung have collaborated with an artist to create a link between fashion and contemporary art. Remembering the Wooyoungmi Spring-Summer 2016 show, it was about unearthly aspirations, imagining a trip to the moon and the apparel that results from the preparation of this journey. It was the starting point of Kiss’ project. Taken by the sensation of timelessness, he created a scene which can either be considered frozen in time or – on the contrary – continuing through time: entirely covered in white gold leaf, a desk sits in the centre of the store. The objects on it are frozen as well – a lamp, books, pencils, sunglasses, a globe – and seem neither belong to the past, the present or the future. Or maybe they do belong to all of them. There is a certain ambiguity to this work, and though you can consider it a still life, it remains refreshingly optimistic at the idea of human condition. Plus, more than sharing an ideology, Wooyoungmi and Mathias Kiss share the same search for traditional craftsmanship, both in the fields of arts and textile, which is why their collaboration makes so much sense. The piece, called « Out of Time » is still on view in the Wooyoungmi Paris’ boutique at 5 rue Saint-Claude 75003.

www.wooyoungmi.com