People of Air Folly

Architecture + R&D BARE Jeon Jinhong, Choi Yunhee Collaborative Curators Lee Mia Kyoungmi Design Kwon Seohyeon, Lee Inae, Jang Sungha, Cho Yejin, Heo Haein Advice Park Mungil, Chung Sungoh Production Jung Gwang Woo, Jenny Harm Video Studio Deeproad Fashion Bae Yeori Graphic Kim Minjae Program Junglim Foundation Installation Hong Minhee Planting Lee Jooyeon Special Thanks Gang Narae, Kang Jisung, Goak Soyean, Goak Sunghyun, Kim InHwan, Yaloo, Park Dongjoon, Nick MyungJe You, Lee Jaesun, Jang Mihyun, Jang Seunghwan, Jung Jinwook, Camila Tsoy, Hwang Hyunjin, UAUS, Line Systems

BARE Jeon Jinhong and Choi Yunhee

BARE explores architectural practice through research focusing on the lifecycle of objects and spaces that respond to dynamically changing urban environments. BARE’s work encompasses objects, installations, spaces, and infrastructure. Past projects include a series of pneumatic structures, kinetic pavilions, and selfassembling shelters. These projects were showcased at the Asia Culture Center (2015), the Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism (2017), and the Korean Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale (2018). A solo exhibition, Assembly of Air (Factory2, 2021), highlighted the AirBeam Pavilion (2021) which served as a mobile clinic for the Korea Aid for COVID-19 Respiratory Epidemic. Other projects include Air Bean (2021), a modular pneumatic structure, that has been acquired by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) for its permanent collection, and Air of Blooms, Inhabiting Air at Hyundai Motorstudio.

BARE Kwon Seohyeon, Lee Inae, Jang Sungha, Cho Yejin, Heo Haein

The design team of BARE played different roles for each stage and project. In the early stages, Cho Yejin, Lee Inae, and Jang Sungha tackled the unfamiliar task of designing, not form but materials, thus laying the foundation for Air Folly. Cho Yejin played a central role in the team by organizing a multitude of research information and visualizing different trials with her design sense and comprehension skills. Lee Inae developed the design to effectively capture the material properties of air and seaweed-based biodegradable plastic. She precisely managed various details for the garment exhibition section, curating a cohesive layout. Jang Sungha crafted different models that helped the team better understand the concepts and processes involved. Heo Haein played a pivotal role in the production design and supervision of the key component of Air Folly, taking on the challenges of “design & making.” With exceptional dedication, she bridged the studio and production sites to bring the idea to life. Kwon Seohyun, while archiving the exhibits with great care, focused on ensuring safety during their installation and dismantling.

H&J Samuso Hong Minhee

Hong Minhee provided consultation for the installation and disassembly of Air Folly and directly oversaw the on-site process. Drawing from years of local and international experience, she discerned issues of the fluctuating site and provided solutions. She tested the new seaweed-based biodegradable plastic in two mockups to minimize unforeseen risks. In 2020, Hong co-founded H&J Samuso with Jang Wonho, who has a graphic design background focused on exhibitions and products. She recently worked on the installation of Kim Heecheon’s solo exhibition Studies at Atelier Hermès and Jo Jaeyoung’s work in Color, Shape, and Active Audience at Gyeongnam Art Museum.

Studio Deeproad An Hyein and Jin Hyo-moon

Studio Deeproad produced the video Where Everything Begins–Sepia Goheung for the Air Folly–Material Circularity exhibition and documentary videos for Circular City (2023) and Air Folly–Material Circularity (2024). Deeproad collaborated with BARE to document the harvesting of seaweed, collecting of byproducts, interviews with key stakeholders, and the overall project process, including each stage of production and exhibition installation. They are currently working on a documentary capturing the landscape of Pungnam Port in Goheung. It shows how the entire village transformed into a giant seaweed farming hub, the process of transforming the byproducts into biodegradable plastics, and the cyclical journey of plastics as they become units and structures before returning to nature. Led by director An Hyein and producer Jin Hyomoon since 2015, Studio Deeproad crosses the boundaries between creation and production, working on diverse video projects for commercials, exhibitions, brand films, and documentaries.

Kim Minjae

Kim Minjae designed the promotional materials for Circular City and Air Folly–Material Circularity. In his online promotion and exhibition guides, Kim incorporated a sense of circularity into the mechanical aesthetic of the logo to reflect the technology and innovation of Air Folly’s material experiments. Using seaweed and Air Pillow as the main visuals for the respective exhibitions, the color palettes were borrowed from the color spectrum of the testing process. Kim created a consistent collection of printed materials, including the Tyvek intro, object labels, artwork captions, and the Air Planter’ instructions. Kim Minjae specializes in brand identity design and is currently working on the Korean typeface Arae-a.

Hongik Univeristy Department of Textile Art and Fashion Design Bae Yeori and Students

Under the guidance of Professor Bae Yeori, the Department of Textile Art and Fashion Design at Hongik University collaborated with BARE to present the exhibition Blow Up. Blow Up was the outcome of their third-year studio in fashion design attended by Kang Hyeonbee, Kim Yedam, Kim Hyun Jeong, Shin Heeju, Adiya Khulan, Ahn Donghyun, Wei Yuan, Zixuan Liu, Lee Dogyeong, Sze Yat Lee, Lee Jiwoo, Yim Wonbin, Xinyi Zhang, Qinyuan Zeng, Choi Yujun, Choi Huiju, Pi Huanyu. Based on systematic research on hanbok, the class expanded the biodegradable fibers developed by BARE and the formal qualities of hanbok. With professional workshops and lectures at Onjium Hanbok Studio. did a hands-on exploration of hanbok, had seminars with BARE, and created and displayed a total of 17 garments as the outcome. Bae designed four pieces of seaweed raincoats for 5-year-olds and the Air Planter plant bag. The collaboration explored the practical use of materials developed in fashion to test its everyday applicability. Following the cyclical concept of product-use-disposal, the Air Planter was designed for non-waste plant transport and reuse as a flowerpot and keyring.

Simda Lee Jooyeon

Lee Jooyeon curated and planted the greenery for Air Folly. She placed rosemary and asparagus meyeri around the columns for a lush-looking environment. In the seaweed-based Air Planters, she potted watermelon peperomia to add a vibrant feeling with the red stems. As a planting curator, Lee also runs the startup SIMGO. She teaches plant curation at ‘Workshop for Plants’ in Yangjae aT Flower Market, engaging with the public and promoting a plant-filled lifestyle.

Marine & Bio Chung Sungoh

Founded by Professor Chung Sungoh from the Health Functional Food Research Center at Korea University, Marine & Bio looks to a visionary future for marine ecology by integrating biotechnology with the Korean marine ecosystem. Chung advised BARE on basic issues of ultrafine-grinding and compounding processes in making seaweed biodegradable plastic. Marine & Bio merges marine byproducts with biotechnology to develop new high-performance substances and eco-friendly materials. With continuous research on seaweed-based biodegradable plastics, Marine & Bio is currently developing eco-friendly fertilizers from seaweed by-products from the southern and western seas of Korea.

Bada N Haecho Fishery Corp. Park Mungil

Located on the southern coast of Goheung, South Jeolla Province, Bada N Haecho Fishery Corp. produces, processes, and exports dried seaweed and processed foods. Based on their experience with Marine & Bio in seaweed biodegradable mulching films, Bada N Haecho advised BARE on developing and producing plastic from b-yproducts. They played a key role in connecting BARE with the seaweed industry. In Goheung, while 75% (150,000 tons) of harvested seaweed is consumed, about 40% (90,000 tons) of by-products are discarded into the sea. Bada N Haecho collects these by-products and separates different parts of seaweed for export primarily to Japan. The remaining roots and stems are milled and dried to produce biodegradable films or products such as lunch boxes and plant pots.

Seokeong Inc. Kang Jisung

For more than 30 years, utilizing urethane and PVC processing techniques, Seokyeong Inc. has specialized in a variety of everyday products, from small business card holders to water play tubes. For Air Folly, they developed Air Leaf and Air Pillow using a new biodegradable fabric. It took on the challenge of finding the optimal fabric thickness and high-frequency bonding methods capable of withstanding air pressure while also maintaining the resilience needed for pneumatic structures. Despite the complexities of biodegradable plastic fabrics and multiple mold combinations, the passion and expertise of the Seokyeong Inc. team found the way to creative solutions.

Gwang Myung Bio Industry Jung Gwang Woo

Gwangmyoung Bio Industry produced Air Buoys, the base of the Air Folly structure. Located in Gwangju, South Jeolla Province, the company has for more than 30 years developed and commercialized various aquaculture supplies, such as farming equipment for abalone, seaweed, and sea cucumbers. As a small but innovative company in the bioindustry, they have developed various types of plastic injection molds. Their unique spirit and pride in new materials allowed them to overcome the challenges posed by the different melting points, cooling times, and shrinkage rates of biodegradable plastic materials, making essential contributions to Air Folly. With the necessary welding technology for creating biodegradable plastic buoys, they helped advance Air Folly from a simple plastic combination prototype to a mass-producible model

Dowon Biotech Jenny Harm

Dowon Biotech is an R&D company that developed the first biodegradable straws in Korea. They successfully produced injection-moldable biodegradable plastic compounds and 3D printer filaments used in Air Buoys of Air Folly. Dr. Jenny Harm, a materials process PhD and material engineer, worked at the company’s affiliated research lab. She meticulously analyzed the properties of seaweed and directly compounded it by adjusting the formulation to suit various challenging processing methods for biodegradable plastics. The expertise she developed over the past decade in ecofriendly materials helped overcome the lower tensile and impact strength, compared to petroleum-based plastics. of biodegradable plastics, leading to the realization of the innovative seaweed-based Air Buoys.

Junglim Foundation Architecture School Kim Bohyun

In connection with Air Folly–Material Circularity, the Junglim Foundation Architecture School team organized the Air Architecture: Building Aircap Shelter workshop. At the workshop, elementary students explored how architecture can respond to climate change and made lightweight, eco-friendly shelters using materials developed by BARE. Students learned about temporary architecture through the concepts of pavilions and follies and created a real space using BARE’s air cap modules. Integrating the humanities, engineering, and arts through the lens of architecture, Architecture School is an educational program run by the Junglim Foundation with the motto “Learning Through Architecture.”

Lee Mia Kyungmi

Lee Mia Kyoungmi worked with BARE to curate the exhibition Air Folly–Material Circularity in 2024, succeeding Circular City in 2023, and collaborated on parallel projects such as Blow Up and Air Planter. She is currently involved in producing a publication documenting the arduous process and intense deliberations of Air Folly. Lee curated exhibition sequences titled From the Sea, Good Plastic, and Back to Life, documenting the process of developing seaweed plastic to its application in Air Folly. Adjusting promotional materials, she further tailored the exhibition to the target audience and location. Lee has eight years of working experience at the Kumho Museum of Art and has been an independent curator since 2016. As co-director of the visual arts research platform PUBLIC PUBLIC, she addresses sustainable communities and energy transition through multidisciplinary and participatory art practices.