Haeun Kim
Telling Time, a Calendar Sculpture
Prompt: I created a three-dimensional sculpture of a large flock of pigeons. Some pigeons are flapping their wings, some are flying in one direction to reach food, and some are sitting on a nearby electric pole. I wanted to capture the chaotic movement of the flock and the feeling of constant motion that I observe every day.
At first, I considered making something similar to Yuji Agematsu’s work by collecting objects I used or found over one week and placing them into seven identical containers. However, I felt this approach would be too similar to his work and not very creative. It also seemed predictable, and I expected many students might use a similar method.
Because of this, I wanted to create something more personal and unique. I aimed to express a moment of time that only I could recognize through my own experience. Instead of collecting objects, I focused on small, repetitive moments in my daily life, since repetition is an important way we recognize time.
One scene that stood out happens during lunchtime. When I look outside the cafeteria window, I always see a large flock of pigeons flying around quickly. A woman feeds them at the same time every day. I had never seen something like this before. In New York, pigeons feel aggressive, fearless, and everywhere. Because this scene repeats daily, it became a clear way for me to recognize time passing.
To express this idea, I created a three-dimensional sculpture of a flock of pigeons in motion—some flying, some flapping, and some resting on electric poles. I wanted to capture the chaotic movement and constant energy of the scene.
Pigeons also symbolize New York City to me. Along with elements like electric poles and road colors, they connect my personal experience of time with the identity of the city. Unlike many works made with paper, I focused on creating a fully three-dimensional form that can be viewed from multiple angles.