Porous Grounds revolves around a series of sculptural forms made of hanji, which affect the user’s perception of sound. These sculptures have been incorporated into site-specific performances and are presented alongside photographic documentation and audio visual compositions that elaborate on the destruction and redevelopment of Bogwang-dong and Sani-myeon.
Performing in-character as the Hyperdimensional Techno-Witch, Austen carried out a series of performances at these sites, navigating the hard and soft physical, social and security-enforced boundaries, while exploring their soundscapes with the Porous Grounds sculptures.
Porous Grounds examines this through material resonance, spatial memory, and environmental traces. The installation centres on modular sculptural forms constructed using hanji, combined with lightweight structural elements and embedded sound components. Hanji functions as a cultural reference and as an active membrane that diffuses light, shapes acoustics, and registers airflow and vibration. The material’s permeability operates as a conceptual counterpoint to the sealed surfaces and controlled atmospheres of contemporary high-rise development.
