Dreaming with Alice
In a world where the boundary between reality and ideals is blurred, questions of “Where exactly is this place?” and “Who am I?” arise. Let us enjoy the new media art exhibition of Alice in Wonderland, a steady bestseller widely loved even after 150 years. Meet the Mad Hatter and the Queen of Hearts this May and become Alice with the Sungkyun Times (SKT).
Dreamlike
-A New World with Alice
Do Kingos remember the story Alice in Wonderland, where Alice enters a rabbit hole that transcends space and time to hop into adventures with bizarre and anthropomorphized creatures? Stepping through the black curtains into the “new world,” one can escape from reality and enter the world of a child’s imagination, where familiar things are perceived in a new light. Based on Alice in Wonderland, this exhibition, which started on January 10th, screens at Ground Seesaw Myeongdong. Visitors can become their version of Alice through surreal media art, which is fusion art that utilizes mass media such as television, movies, and radio. As such, the exhibition runs for nine sessions daily, and for a smoother viewing experience, visitors must specify the date and session they wish to attend. They can venture into the “new world” filled with a modernly reinterpreted storyline and captivating visual beauty that delights all the senses.
-Composition (*Spoiler Alert)
This exhibition is an invitation to a unique journey into a world like a mirage, nowhere else to be found. In the Forest Theater, one can enjoy the curiosity-filled animals, while the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party presents the wit and humor of the hatter. Alice, who enters the Queen of Hearts’ riddles with the Cheshire Cat, seen only in childhood stories, gradually faces a crisis. In the Mirror of Infinity, she confronts the “real me” she never knew. Alice and her friends lose and rediscover their selves in the chaos of hide and seek.
Daydreaming
-To Me, from Me
The exhibition, through a reinterpretation of the original tale, evokes nostalgia from childhood while encouraging self-reflection on the present. Starting with the core question of “Who am I?”, Alice travels through the Forest Theater, where animals dance to dynamic music, and the Mad Tea Party, which is always set at 6 o’clock. One can focus more on the message of finding oneself along with familiar characters from the tale, such as the Cheshire Cat and Humpty Dumpty. This composition reflects modern society’s rapidly changing moments and the individuals who wander while contemplating what to do, deeply relating back to reality. The copious composition also brings out complex human emotions. Eccentricity is depicted along with teenage confusion and depression within the fantastical story, which is expressed in vibrant colors. The strangeness of the original tale prompts the audience to question the familiar reality, sparking their creativity and continuously encouraging them to question themselves. Ultimately, the audience of this exhibition becomes part of the story, entering their childhood with an adult’s heart and getting closer to finding who they are.
-New World, New Technology
Ground Seesaw, a media art platform, is loved by many visitors for showcasing immersive exhibitions as a leading media art platform. By offering a multimedia experience where visitors can become part of the artwork, the space configures screens over 6m in height on all five sides, allowing for viewing from any seat. The soundtrack produced by K-pop producer Park Jae-sik enables visitors to vividly feel Alice’s changing emotions through sound coming from all directions. The media art technology applied to the exhibition uses walls and floors beyond the canvas to dynamically express animals like the dodo popping up from different spaces. Because the visitors can understand the background and points of appreciation of the artworks through videos beforehand, they can better focus on the emotions triggered by each piece when viewing them. Sitting on the floor with a cushion to immerse oneself in the pictures extending high up to the ceiling allows a skyward journey. From the moment visitors open the door to the exhibition hall, they can enter a new world and embark on a fantastical adventure.
Outside the New World
While the storyline and the variety of visual aesthetics generally received positive reviews, there were also some disappointments. The omission of major scenes from the story disappointed some viewers who were expecting the witty jokes of the animals. In addition, the reputation of the Ground Seesaw flagship exhibition does not quite match its short running time of 45 minutes, failing to leave as much of an impression as expected. Moreover, despite the rich story and diverse visual effects, the visual depiction of the main characters was somewhat lacking. The animation’s unnatural movement disrupted Alice’s traditional image of blonde hair and a sky-blue dress from the original story. Furthermore, expressing a rich storyline throughout the seven chapters is crucial in the characters’ facial expressions. However, Alice’s lack of facial expression changes, which led to an overreliance on narration, was a major drawback. Despite the support of a rich story and splendid media art, these few disappointments compromised the exhibition’s completeness.
While feeling relieved looking at the familiar surroundings, the white rabbit running around exclaiming, “I am late! I am late!” confuses Alice, making her wonder if she is going mad. To Alice, who is shocked to think she is going mad like the nonsensical animals in Wonderland, “You are entirely mad. But I will tell you a secret. All the best people are.”