Driftwood and sea glass framed: 'A Day Among Many' on Sapsido Island

Artist Kim Tae-yeon is transforming marine debris into art on Sapsido Island, South Korea, creating unique frames for his photographs that highlight both the ocean's beauty and its environmental challenges.

His upcoming exhibition, "Sapsido, A Day Among Many," at the Boryeong Culture and Arts Center, features photographs of the island's landscapes, from sunsets with seagulls to the textures of the sea. These images are then framed not with conventional materials, but with driftwood, shells, ropes, and fragments of sea glass collected from the island's shores.

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At first, I only saw the things washed up on the beach as objects that needed to be cleaned up. But at some point, I started thinking, 'Can I show this in another way?'

Initially, Kim viewed the washed-up debris as mere trash. However, he began to consider how these discarded items could be presented differently. "I started thinking, 'Can I show this in another way?'" Kim explained. He realized that using these materials as frames could alter how viewers perceive the photographs and the ocean itself.

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I didn't want to talk too directly about the environment. I thought if people first feel it's beautiful, and then later learn it's made from trash collected from the sea, they might think twice.

The resulting artworks integrate the photos and frames seamlessly. For instance, a sunset photograph is complemented by weathered driftwood, while images of the vibrant blue sea feature frames made of sea glass and shells. Even fragments of tubes and styrofoam are repurposed after being cleaned and shaped.

Kim hopes this approach will subtly convey a message about environmental protection. "I didn't want to talk too directly about the environment," he said. "I thought if people first feel it's beautiful, and then later learn it's made from trash collected from the sea, they might think twice." He believes that realizing a beautiful frame is actually marine waste could change people's perspective on the ocean, prompting them to see it not just as a pretty landscape, but as a place that needs safeguarding.

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Photos are the face of Sapsido, and the frames are its time.