I. Parking (2002)
Video. 5’ 27”. Ed. 6/20 Courtesy: Asociación de Amigos del CGAC, Santiago de Compostela
The video I. Parking by June-Bum Park is rooted in the normal action that takes place in a parking space. It brings to the fore the routine and self- regulated nature in which many of the situations associated with traffic are played out. The artist’s visual approach orchestrates a number of elements that help us to relocate and to reinforce the meaning and implications of such an apparently routine task like parking a car in a place expressly conceived for that purpose. The miniaturisation of cars and passers-by, the high camera shot and the presence of two life-size hands in the frame that seem to be guiding and regulating the action give us an overall schematic view of what is going on. The hands “organising” the various elements express and underscore the complex interaction between cars and pedestrians, a complex interplay we know is regulated by both explicit and implicit rules and behavioural patterns. Yet, in contrast, this piece also expresses the extent to which our behaviour and our day-to-day life in the city is incredibly marked or controlled by given conditions and situations.
