INTERVIEW Soobeen Woo
PUBLISHED 03.FEB 2025
Seoyeon Lee is a media artist based in Bremen, Germany. She uses diverse techniques such as data visualization, projection mapping and installation art to express her ideas.
// What inspired you to participate in LICHTROUTEN this year?
I first learned about the LICHTROUTEN Festival through a curator I collaborated with during a previous exhibition. I was particularly impressed by the festival’s concept of utilizing various buildings in the Lüdenscheid area to fill the city with new colors, invite its citizens, and breathe life into the urban space. This vision deeply resonated with me and inspired my decision to participate.
// How do you think ‘Memoy Decay’ connects with the theme of LICHTROUTEN or with other works in the festival?
The various works featured in the festival, ranging from installations and projection mapping to videos, share a common goal of engaging with the public and fostering communication. Similarly, ‘Memory Decay’ includes footage filmed in Lüdenscheid, allowing the audience to resonate more deeply with the work. This connection encourages viewers to recall their personal memories linked to the city while experiencing the piece, aligning closely with the theme of Lichtrouten.
// How do you expect ‘Memory Decay’ to be received by the audience, particularly in the context of a festival?
I believe festivals provide an opportunity to see familiar cities from a new perspective. Through ‘Memory Decay’, I hope the audience can discover a different side of Lüdenscheid and experience new visual narratives and emotions embedded within the city’s stories.
// Has your participation in LICHTROUTEN provided you with new inspiration in your work process or as an artist?
During my visit to LICHTROUTEN for filming, I had the chance to explore the local market, interact with shoppers, and enjoy regional cuisine. What struck me most was the warm sense of community, as merchants and customers greeted each other by name with friendly exchanges. This experience highlighted that personal memories are not created in isolation but are shaped through connections with others. This realization deeply inspired my work.
// Memory was a key theme in your previous work ‘Dandelion.’ How has your approach to exploring memory evolved from ‘Dandelion’ to ‘Memory Decay,’ and what do you see as the biggest differences between the two?
Both works are connected through the theme of ‘memory,’ but they differ in focus: Dandelion emphasizes the disappearance of memory, while ‘Memory Decay’ centers on the process of restoring forgotten memories. Additionally, Dandelion utilized photographs to create 3D animation, whereas ‘Memory Decay’ was developed based on filmed footage, highlighting a difference in medium. ‘Memory Decay’ originated from Dandelion’s exploration of the transience of memory, posing the question of how these vanished memories can be restored. The most significant difference lies in their approach, with ‘Memory Decay’ actively incorporating analog methods, moving away from a primarily digital approach.
// What is the main theme and message of ‘Memory Decay’? What story are you aiming to convey through this work?
If I were to express the main theme in one phrase, it would be ‘Restoration of Forgotten Memories.’ This work raises the question: Can even our most precious personal memories be replaced by AI in a society where everything is increasingly automated? It is an exploration of the essence of memory and the implications of technological advancement.
// How does your artistic practice engage with light and media as mediums? What drew you to work with these elements?
The synesthetic nature of media has always been deeply captivating to me. I find it fascinating how not only visual elements but also sound, spatial arrangements, and the way a piece is positioned can create entirely different impressions for the audience. This multifaceted potential constantly sparks my curiosity.
// The way you portrayed the fading process of memory through a video tape is impressive. What emotions or messages were you aiming to convey through the similarity between the tape and memory?
There have been moments in my life when recalling past memories felt fragmented or blurry. While playing a dusty tape on a camcorder I had purchased by chance, I noticed the damaged footage and felt it resembled my own faded memories. In this era dominated by digital media, I hope that audiences can take a moment to reflect on their own cherished memories through the imperfect and hazy nature of analog visuals.
// The restoration of damaged tapes using AI technology has been demonstrated. Do you think such AI restoration can replace the essence of memories, or do you see its limitations?
During the planning stage, I anticipated that AI’s restoration capabilities would be quite limited. However, throughout the process, I was surprised to see AI restoring the footage with a mood that closely resembled analog video more than I had expected. Nevertheless, I found that while AI can smoothly repair damaged footage, it struggles to perfectly harmonize with the natural flow of original analog videos. Most AI-restored footage appeared more vibrant and seemed to add excessive elements, contrasting with the organic and understated qualities of analog media.
// While dealing with memory restoration, you emphasized emotions and the human element. What do you think differentiates AI from human memory?
The most distinctive factor is that AI creates everything through calculated mechanisms, producing results that are meticulously computed, even for incomplete images. This sharply contrasts with the human element, where imperfection and inherent flaws bring about a unique, uncalculated beauty. I believe that memories, in particular, are formed through serendipity. Since not everything in human life occurs in a calculated manner, memories are also filled with accidental outcomes. This, I believe, is the fundamental difference between AI and human memory.
// In creating this work, VHS tapes and AI technology were combined. What was the most intriguing or unexpected discovery during the process? And what aspects did you pay the most attention to when integrating AI with analog technology?
What I found most fascinating was the way AI handles restoration. Depending on the VAE (Variational Autoencoder) used, the same image could be restored in completely different ways, and the direction of the restoration varied significantly based on the prompts I provided. This highlighted the inevitability of human involvement in the AI restoration process, which I found particularly intriguing. As a result, I had to revise my initial plan to fully automate video restoration through AI. Instead of confining the AI to a specific image style, I devoted most of my efforts to creating an initial setup that would allow the AI to blend seamlessly with the original analog footage.
// How did you select the AI technologies (such as Stable Diffusion) used in the project? What aspects were you most focused on during the technical experiments?
Before selecting Stable Diffusion, I tested various web-based AI software optimized for video. However, I felt a strong desire to meticulously oversee the AI image generation process, tweaking every setting to achieve precise results. Around that time, I recalled that some colleagues had been using Stable Diffusion for diverse projects, which led me to explore it in depth. The combination with ComfyUI, a node-based workflow, proved to be particularly effective, and this ultimately solidified my decision to choose Stable Diffusion.
During the technical experimentation process, my primary focus was on how to physically damage the VHS tape. Baking the tape in an oven, scratching it with sharp needles, and crumpling it by hand each produced distinctly different effects. To utilize these variations, I repeatedly cut, damaged, and reassembled specific sections of the tape using various methods. My main objective was not to create digitally simulated damage through software but to achieve authentic physical damage. This hands-on process became a crucial phase in the development of my work.
// What was the most challenging part of creating ‘Memory Decay’? How did you overcome it?
The biggest challenge was figuring out how to damage the VHS tape effectively. Each method—baking the tape in an oven, scratching it with sharp needles, or crumpling it by hand—produced entirely different effects, making it difficult to achieve the desired level of damage with precision. To utilize these differences, I repeatedly cut out sections of the tape, damaged them using various techniques, and reassembled them. However, this process required meticulous attention, as the tape sometimes became irreparably damaged.
The primary goal of this project was not to create damaged footage through digital post-processing but to implement physical damage in a tangible way. This process was a crucial phase of the work, and the main challenge was to appropriately damage the tape while preserving as much of the unique texture of the recorded footage as possible.
// What emotions or messages do you hope to convey to the audience through ‘Memory Decay’?
In truth, I did not set out to convey a specific emotion or message to the audience. I believe that emotions tied to memory can vary greatly from person to person. For me, this project began with a sense of longing for fading memories and the desire to preserve them, even if through AI. I hope this work offers the audience a fresh perspective, showing them that “this is another way to approach the concept of memory.”
// This work merges analog and digital elements. What new possibilities did you discover through this fusion?
I found it fascinating to witness two completely different images creating synergy. Watching these seemingly incompatible elements blend together naturally revealed new possibilities to me. The idea of combining VHS, representing one generation, with AI, symbolizing another, within a single video initially seemed unimaginable. However, the harmonious result was far more natural than I had anticipated, which left a strong impression on me.
I believe this fusion could resonate with audiences from different generations, offering something meaningful for everyone. It also sparked the idea that combining other analog objects symbolizing past generations with new technological media could lead to fresh forms of harmony and innovation.
// What are your plans for future projects or your artistic activities?
In today’s society, where new technologies emerge daily, I imagine that some may find these advancements unfamiliar and distant. While I believe in the potential of technology, I also recognize that its impact varies depending on how it is utilized—it can convey warmth to people or, at times, evoke a sense of coldness and alienation. One limitation I’ve observed is technology’s struggle to deeply connect with human emotions.
For this reason, I aspire to create works where technology seamlessly integrates into people’s lives, fostering emotional resonance and empathy. I envision technology as more than just a tool—it should serve as a meaningful medium that forms genuine connections with people. With this in mind, I plan to design future projects that explore these possibilities.