Dispersion 1
Courtesy Yong Ju Lee Architecture Dispersion 1

Older residents of Suwon, South Korea, will remember a narrow-gauge railway that took the Su-In Line train through a landscape of beaches and salterns from 1937 to 1995. Originally used to move salt during imperial Japanese rule, the railway became a primary means of transportation for low-income laborers and students after the Korean War. Seoul-based Yong Ju Lee Architecture is looking to reinvigorate the faded memory for a new generation of South Koreans using this pixelated, stainless steel memorial composed of two interpretive sculptures.

The pixelated beginning (or end) of Dispersion 1.
Courtesy Yong Ju Lee Architecture The pixelated beginning (or end) of Dispersion 1.

Dispersion, a pair of sculptures that appear to melt or disintegrate into their surroundings, is built to the dimensions of the original Su-In Line train, including its narrow 762mm (2.5-foot) width, which made for a very cramped commute.

Dispersion 1 and Dispersion 2.
Courtesy Yong Ju Lee Architecture Dispersion 1 and Dispersion 2.

Dispersion 1 is an exterior restoration of the train that starts off pixelated and dematerialized, but then solidifies, or vice versa, depending upon the viewer’s angle. Dispersion 2, a second car that trails closely behind, reimagines the former train’s interior. It features a seated woman’s silhouette on one side, invoking an atmosphere of the past and allowing visitors of the memorial to join her.

Visitors are welcomed to sit and soak in the space in Dispersion 2.
Courtesy Yong Ju Lee Architecture Visitors are welcomed to sit and soak in the space in Dispersion 2.

Both parts of the sculpture are built entirely from stainless steel, to both reflect and contrast the current surroundings. The installation lives on the grounds of the former railway's final stop in Su-In Line Memorial Park.

The silhouette of a woman sitting in Dispersion 2.
Courtesy Yong Ju Lee Architecture The silhouette of a woman sitting in Dispersion 2.
Visitors are encouraged to climb up into Dispersion 1.
Courtesy Yong Ju Lee Architecture Visitors are encouraged to climb up into Dispersion 1.
The train cars were built to the original Su-In Line's very narrow width.
Courtesy Yong Ju Lee Architecture The train cars were built to the original Su-In Line's very narrow width.
Courtesy Yong Ju Lee Architecture