K-Content News

“Kinetic art” refers to moving art and includes works that move in part or as a whole. Since kinetic art involves a lot of dynamic movement, it is typically expressed in the form of a sculpture or component. However, recently, thanks to technological advancements, many different techniques can be added that go beyond the simple movement of a sculpture.

For example, in the past, a human-shaped sculpture may only have been able to move its arms; however, technology now allows for light to radiate out of a sculpture’s eyes or for its hands to move apart and then come back together again. Before, a kinetic screen could only move up and down, but now, thanks to the development of kinetic technologies, a screen displaying representative images can move freely from left to right as well as front to back.

Spatial designers and artists often lack certain engineering skills. That is why they tend to show limited, repeated movements in their artwork, focusing on the formative nature and artistic quality of simple movement. Although this may help the artist concentrate on the artistic quality of the movement itself, it is very limiting in terms of the diversity, or ways, in which the movement is expressed.

Insufficient technological skills can often prevent artists from expressing the large-scale movements they desire. To move the two arms of a human-shaped sculpture, all you need to do is install and operate a motor, which could easily be done by the artist. However, moving dozens of arms—such as for a statue of a Hindu god—is outside the skill set of most artists.

Due to such technological limitations, kinetic art is often displayed in ways that pale in comparison to the vision of the designer or artist. Many artists want to compose mass movements but fail to do so. Easywith is a company that provides media platform strategies and digital space user experience consultation services. The company has received positive reviews for its ability to establish a kinetic art platform, thereby opening new doors of artistic expression.

Easywith was founded so that designers and artists can easily express their desired contents on a kinetic art platform. Previously, artists could only apply a single movement to one objet d’art. With Easywith’s platform, 1,500 to 2,000 objets can express various movements.

When you have the ability to move over 1,000 objets, you can express things that you were unable to before. For example, when you have the ability to make 1,000 sticks fly up from the floor, you can also adjust the height of each stick to create the shape of a vehicle. You can also make the vehicle look like its moving forward by raising and lowering each stick.

Through the platform, artists use a 3D tool to make a video of the shape they desire for their creation. The artist creates the video and movement, and the kinetic solution helps faithfully bring the artist’s vision to life.

The Easywith platform is supported by dozens of members from the company’s Video Team, Design Team, Planning Team, and Development Team. Each person—from creator to engineer—collaborates to create synergistic effects, faithfully performing their individual roles to maximize efficiency.

The Easywith platform is mainly utilized by large companies such as Samsung Electronics, the Hyundai Motor Company, and LG Electronics to create media contents for displays at conglomerate PR centers or large-scale exhibitions, such as the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and Mobile World Congress (MWC). The platform is also frequently used by public institutions or local governments to build themed displays. Easywith explains that rather than being used for one-time interior displays, the company works to provide kinetic art in various forms for spaces where media is the main focus.

Recently, the Samsung Booth at the Mobile World Congress 2019, the largest mobile exhibition in the world, featured a kinetic media façade module utilizing the Galaxy S10 as its display. Hundreds of Galaxy S10 models were used to create a magnificent, wave-like motion. Last year, the SK Telecom booth used a kinetic LED façade at its entrance to promote the PR center of the Mobile World Congress. The LED screen featured at the booth moved back and forth in a wave-like motion, and various images were also realized through motion.

The Seoul National University Bundang Hospital also installed digital signage at the “SNUH Walking Gallery,” and the new company building of Aekyung Group features an interactive media table in its lounge space that introduces affiliated brands and plays a PR video.

Easywith has been carrying out the “3D Multiple Array Method Exhibition/Performance Ball Motion System Development and Authoring Technique Development Project” through the support of the Korea Creative Content Agency since 2018. The 3D Multiple Array Method is a technique that allows three-dimensional movement. For example, rather than just moving from top to bottom or left to right, this technique also allows diagonal movement. Rather than moving a single objet, this technique also allows the three-dimensional movement of thousands of objets. The lighting can also be changed to multiple colors, instead of staying in a single color. Before this technology was developed, there was no technology that allowed for changes in color. Now, with the introduction of a number of colors, there is a wider range of artistic expression that can be achieved.

Once this technology is perfected, it will be possible to create a “moving, shape-changing monitor”; in other words, monitors applied with this technology will be able to change shape and realize new movement and will even be able to change color and shading. This technology is expected to be introduced at the Korea booth of the Dubai Expo to be held in October 2020. Easywith says that the support from the Korea Creative Content Agency has been instrumental in helping with technology development. Receiving R&D investment helps the company use its funds more flexibly, allowing it to display its technologies at larger events, resulting in greater advertisement effects.

CEO Yang Jung-ha of Easywith said, “Often times, it is difficult to carry out R&D for pre-determined items using only our own budget. When we have fewer funds, we have to make more conservative choices, because many of the R&D activities we are involved in come with a risk of loss. When we receive R&D budget support, however, we save greatly on our development costs, which means we have more money to participate in large overseas events or exhibition-related projects.” Yang added, “Our display at the Korean booth at the Dubai Expo, in particular, is not just a chance to advertise the technology of Easywith as a company but is also effective in letting the world know of Korea’s outstanding technological prowess. This kind of move leads to the increased creation of added value.” Yang anticipates that continued content support will help promote Korea’s technological strengths to the rest of the world and will increase the nation’s competitive edge.

He concluded by saying, “Up until now, overseas projects have mainly been displayed in limited spaces. The technology that we have developed with the support of the Korea Creative Content Agency will be operated in an open space, giving us exposure to more overseas buyers.”