Year: 2019
Medium: kelp, aquazol, glycerin, crepeline, acrylic, LED, animatronic insect
Dimensions: 71.1 x 71.1 x 71.1 cm (28 x 28 x 28 in.)
Acquired from Pace Gallery, 2026
This work belongs to a series known as the “Kelp Sculptures.” Its form appears to be modeled after lanterns or paper lanterns. The membrane, which resembles a thin fabric, is made from kelp that has been stretched and dried. Inside, a mechanical moth flutters about, its wings beating audibly. The pod can appear both as a prison and as a protective nest. Might one imagine life or intelligence in the fluttering of the moth’s wings? For Yi, who would later develop a broad body of post-biological work, this piece marks an important point of origin.
