Memories of cars

“Iyagi Swing” by Yang Soo-in; a 1994 Sonata.

By Kwon Mee-yoo

Cars have become an important part of people's lives. More than 20 million vehicles were registered in Korea as of December 2014 and these cars provide a lot of memories for their owners.

"Brilliant Memories," a new exhibit hosted by Hyundai Motor, aims to transform these memories into art. Korea's largest automaker collected car-related stories from its customers and matched them with artists, who conjured up imaginative keepsakes using cars from the junkyard.

“Eight frames” by Kim Byung-ho; a Galloper.

The results came in a wide range, from a car seat turned into luggage, an engine jukebox, a chandelier of headlights and a clock made from a car door.

Architect Yang Soo-in worked with a 1994 Sonata 2, one of the most popular Korean sedans in the 1990s.

"For this project, the materials were the car as a physical object and memory as an incorporeal object. As an architect, both were unfamiliar subject matters to me," Yang said. "Personally, I have a memory on Sonata II, as my mother drove it for some 20 years before it was scrapped. When I was attending university, I drove the car on the quiet, but was involved in an accident and got caught."

“Memorial for Porter” by Lee Yong-baek; a 1999 Porter.

Yang’s client is a film director who got a used car from his aunt. The old car provided the director with transportation as well as a source for his imagination. The director slept in the car during casting trips and it was even used as a prop for his movie.

Yang transformed the old car into “Iyagi Swing,” a car that swings when passenger gets into it. The passenger can listen to the former owner talking about his envisaged movie and tell their experience or imagination to the car. The passenger’s tale is recorded in “Iyagi Ball,” a sound art piece that connects unspecified individuals to the mass, for 30 seconds and will be delivered to the director as a source of creativity.

The exhibit runs through Feb. 27. Admission is 5,000 won. For more information, visit brilliant.hyundai.com.

“Memorial Drive” by Everyware; a 2000 Santa Fe.