Do Ho Suh Turns Homesickness Into an Art Platform

Photograph by Ryan Kurtz

Since moving to the states in the early ’90s, much of artist Do Ho Suh’s work has explored the concepts of space and displacement, most notably through massive installation structures that re-create places such as his childhood home in Korea or an old New York City apartment. The latter, titled 348 West 22nd Street, New York, NY 10011, USA Apartment A, Corridors and Staircases, is on display at the Contemporary Arts Center through September as part of Suh’s Passage exhibition. Made from polyester fabric and constructed with stainless steel tubing and wire, Suh spent six months studying a 3-D model of the museum in order to modify the existing creation to properly fit the space. The piece is both interactive and exceedingly intricate, allowing the audience to walk through and view details such as light switches and fire extinguishers up close. “It’s about my personal experience, but there are qualities in my work that are universal,” says Suh. “Qualities we can share, the point where people can enter and project their own lives.”