Baekseok (백석) Station Area

This is a fairly typical area in the suburbs of Seoul, near Baekseok Station on line 3, the orange line.

I met a very friendly ginger tabby cat with a snipped ear, a sign that it’s TNR (trap-neuter-rescue) cat that won’t produce offspring. There are a lot of cats in the Goyang area; we take “고양이” very literally. (“Goyang/고양” is part of “goyangi/고양이,” the word for cat.)

ginger kitty friend with a clipped ear, meaing it’s a TNR cat

There are a few very unique sculptures just outside the station and Goyang Bus Terminal that I’ve taken some snaps of here. First is called “Anniversary” by Kim Kyung Min. “기념일” by 김경민

The sculpture is of a very long and thin man dressed in a blue suit jacket with red polka-dot tie with gray striped pants and black shoes, in mid-stride, carrying various shopping bags with his right hand and others in the crook of his left arm, which is outstretched and his finger is pointing at something and it appears he’s holding something in his hand. He has black hair and glasses.

According to a translation of the plaque,

“It expresses the excitement and joy of a man preparing an anniversary gift for his loved one in the work of reinterpreting the small landscpes and characters around him with a cheerful and witty perspective of the artist. While watching the work, we expect viewers to feel small happiness in their daily lives by recalling pleasant memories with their loved ones.” 7-2012

Next we have a pixelated sculpture of a bull titled, “Generating Space Bull” by Shin Chi-hyun. “생성공간-황소” by “신치현

This is a sculpture of a bull made out of ivory Lego-esque pieces. Like the previous sculpture, it is also mid-stride and its tail is lifted.

According to a translation of the plaque, “By the artist’s way of working, characterized by a combination of pixels of segmented forms, the bull image, which means financial luck, was reborn. It was intended to provide an open appreciation and experience by intending to actively intervene that viewers see and touch with interest and curiosity.” 07-2012