Nature and Transformation: Seon-Ghi Bahk Dresses Michele Chiarlo Wines with his Tactile Art

Enriching Michele Chiarlo’s connection with art are two new artist labels, Barolo DOCG 2019 and Gavi DOCG 2022, fashioned by the Korean artist and showcased at the Lotte Gallery in Seoul during the SANTÈ! CIN CIN! CHEERS! exhibition.

Permanence and mutability, nature, civilization, humanness: it’s Seon-Ghi Bahk, the Korean sculptor behind Michele Chiarlo’s latest artist labels.

Bahk is an artist with a rich international career, trained at the Brera Academy in Milan. His three-dimensional installations of suspended charcoal, interpreted as elegant black and white drawings, have been exhibited worldwide, garnering numerous awards; in 2006, the prestigious Kim Chong Yung Sculpture Award honored his exceptional contribution to contemporary art. He is the creator of the enchanting chandeliers at the Hotel Shilla in Seoul, one of Korea’s finest establishments.

The collaboration with Michele Chiarlo adds a layer of meaning to Bahk’s exploration, moving his work along a subtle parallel with the art of winemaking by paying homage to the artistic work of winemakers.

Just as Seon-Ghi Bahk creates sculptures in which individual pieces are hung from the ceiling, seemingly in random order, to create an image through perspective – perfect only when seen by an eye that can perceive nuances, and only when assembled with wisdom – a careful winemaker creates a superb wine by skillfully weaving together the various elements that compose it.

Nature, therefore, becomes civilization through the art of transformation, both natural and artisanal: grapes ferment and then are vinified, organic matter becomes charcoal, Bahk’s material of choice, and is transformed into sculpture – and later into illustration for the limited edition Barolo DOCG 2019 and Gavi DOCG 2022 labels signed by the artist.