Paek’s own routine experience sparked a more recent piece. “Getting on the train, off the train, and walking home was kind of boring for me and very exhausting,” says Paek, “so I was thinking, how can I make every step of this boring commute route something meaningful?”

The result is Self-Sustainable Chair, a polyethylene dress with an inflatable rear bubble that expands with each step, from air funneled in through foot pumps. After enough distance, the bubble becomes a makeshift chair that can be rested upon, breaking up the journey.

“It was the perfect combination to balance your body movement,” Paek explains, “but it became funnier because the self-sustainable chair wasn’t perfect … it leaked quicker than I thought.”

Paek enjoys working with easily portable materials like plastics and papers, noting how they reflect her current lifestyle — she’s been switching studios every six to nine months, depending on what artist residency program she’s accepted into. “Maybe [one day] I will have my own studio,” she says, laughing. “Then my work will be completely different.”

» Paek’s interactive objects: jooyounpaek.com

 

Laura Kiniry is a San Francisco-based freelance writer who’s busy snapping photos and learning design when she’s not writing articles and guidebooks.

IN TERACTION IN ACTION: Joo Youn Paek’s Polite Umbrella, Pillowig, and Self-Sustainable Chair.