LOS ANGELES, CA.- Los Angeles-based Poetic Kinetics’ artist Patrick Shearn is presenting Visions in Motion, a large-scale, outdoor, public art installation at the “Let’s DMZ Peace Arts Festival” held annually in the Korean Demilitarized Zone. Curated by the GyeongGi Cultural Foundation, Visions in Motion is on display from September 21 until October 30, 2022 in Pyeonghwa-Nuri Park in the Imjingak area of Paju, South Korea.

The goal of the “Let’s DMZ Peace Arts Festival” is to promote peace and coexistence while highlighting the environment and culture in the Demilitarized Zone. The 250-meter (800-foot) participatory sculpture was conceived to be a symbol for peace and the united power of people overcoming injustice—incorporating messages from individuals all over the world to visualize a collective voice of hope. During the festival, the Korean public will be welcome to contribute messages of positivity, unity, and peace to the artwork, joining tens of thousands of messages already presented within the fabric of the work, thereby growing the installation.

Previously exhibited in 2019 when working with the curator Kulturprojekte Berlin which commemorated the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wallat the Brandenburg Gate, Visions in Motion in South Korea will continue to facilitate a global conversation by and for the people. The sculpture is made up of over 100,000 strips of sailcloth fabric draped upon a supporting structure in a curved, wall-like form, which symbolizes the bending of the border between North and South Korea.




“Art transcends borders and tugs at the thread of our common humanity,” shared Shearn. “Here I strive to use my artwork as a platform for bringing people together in the spirit of hope and action.”

Visions in Motion is part of Shearn’s signature body of work called the Skynet Series—inspired by the graceful murmuration of birds flocking together or schools of fish coalescing and moving simultaneously, creating a constant reminder of nature moving around us. Traditionally created as a series of aerial works which float revealing unseen natural elements, in unusual, dramatic ways, this piece will be a ground based installation which will make the work uniquely accessible to the public for interaction. These artworks are intentionally constructed from ultralight materials and anchored inconspicuously at a distance, where they are suspended to anticipate and harness the wind, ripple with color, and dance dramatically in the air. The resulting artwork offers a peaceful and immersive experience to all who encounter it. Past kinetic sculptures from the SKYNET SERIES include Visions in Motion, 2019, Berlin, Germany; Reflection Rising, 2017, Scottsdale, AZ recognized by Americans for the Arts' Public Art Network as “Outstanding Public Artwork”; Firebird Descent, 2017, St. Petersburg, Russia; and Liquid Shard 2016, Los Angeles, CA. 2 images of this piece are attached.

The Demilitarized Zone is a middle ground between South and North Korea and is remembered as a symbol of the confrontation between the two as well as division, and a trace of war. Here, the “Let’s DMZ Peace Arts Festival” sets out to present ways to newly define the value of the Demilitarized Zone which symbolically contains the fundamental heart of peace. The festival will consist of three parts: DMZ Exhibition, DMZ Concert and DMZ Local. Other artists taking part include Janet Echelman; Hayoun Kwon, Taebum Ha, Anna Lim, Ujoo + LimHeeYoung; Kimchi + Chips; Lee Eun-sook; Junkhouse + Christian Storm; and Hyemi Shin + Byungin Kim.

Patrick Shearn is an American artist, specializing in larger-than-life, immersive public art installations. The artist’s signature kinetic sculptures are internationally renowned and regularly generate widespread public interest. Shearn’s expertise in animatronics, robotics and visual effects– gleaned from a 30-year tenure in the film industry as a creature maker and visual effects supervisor on films such as Jurassic Park and Interview with a Vampire– has lent traction to a prolific career as Founder and Creative Director for his studio Poetic Kinetics. Under Shearn’s guiding vision, Poetic Kinetics has designed, fabricated, and implemented a wide range of projects that encourage audience participation–from interactive projection mapping and pyrotechnics to enormous mobile sculptures, all with an uncompromising eye for production value.