Gravity, Architecture, and a Tiny Little Piece of Weight

Film shoot at NIVL Studio

I’ve been wondering how to introduce this blog.

Should I write a grand manifesto?

Perhaps lay the first foundation stone of how we began?

But at this moment, there is nothing grand. No corner office, no headquarters. I am actually writing this draft in the library of the university where I teach. I don't even have a proper office at the moment. I mean, I could, but I don't see the point of it right now.

Some of my first year students.

I am just doing what I can for now. I am actually thankful for my teaching job. I love the kids—maybe not all of them, but most of them. They are bright young lads who have few concerns about the future but are full of excitement. I am also grateful for the current project I am working on. Sooner or later, I will be talking about that particular project (which I have actually been working on for more than a year now) in another post.

In the end, I decided to bypass the formal introductions and start with where I am right now—literally.

Special thanks to Park Yoon Studio for Art (www.parkyoon.com)

This week, I have the privilege of exhibiting a piece at SONGEUN Art Space in Cheongdam. It is part of a special design project called <Collectice Mass>, running alongside the 25th Songeun Art Award. The exhibition brings together alumni from the RCA (Royal College of Art) and the AA (Architectural Association School of Architecture) to explore the concept of "weight" in the Welcome Room.

In short, I made a paperweight.

The Tiny Little Piece

It is just a piece that is smaller than my DSLR camera. Probably even smaller than my iPad.

Although this piece was so... so bloody small compared to any other designs I have done before, it was very challenging. I often talk to my students about the moment where architecture meets the user—that is the special moment. Where material meets human, where the true spatial stories begin.

Original: Form of Relationship

This little object was all about how it is perceived by a human. To be touched, to be played with. To hold the weight against the wind or perhaps a bored cat at home. Creating something so close to the human scale was hard. At first, I wanted to create something that could move like a little gadget. But once I figured out I was supposed to actually sell this thing at the Songeun Holiday Market on the 21st of December, I had to make major adjustments (I redesigned the whole thing several times, to be frank).

Medium: Form of Relationship

In the end, I am surprisingly happy with the final design. It is... different. Very different from all my past design works. I mean, yes, the scale is completely different because I have been designing buildings and masterplans. But the method and the approach have been drastically different. I do not know if I will ever have this chance again—to design something very self-aware, detached from client needs or building regulations.

However, I did want it to be somewhat architectural. Among all the high-profile designers, I wanted to suggest something different. If you look at the piece, it is probably hard to tell that it has anything to do with architecture. But it does. At least I think so.

In architecture, we often talk about 'circulation'—the way people move through space. I wanted to capture that invisible route in a small object. These delicate lines of circulation on the object could be paths yet to be taken or paths already traversed—just like this company itself.

Small: Form of Relationship

As I officially launch Fakeprintshop, this sentiment feels relevant. I wish to believe we are standing at the contact point of a new trajectory, ready to explore those paths yet to be taken. I hope this paperweight is a reminder of the balance we aim to keep—grounded, but always moving.

If you happen to be in Seoul, I’d love for you to stop by. The exhibition runs until February, but there is a special Holiday Market happening this Sunday, December 21st, where you can see the works from all the participating artists.

It’s a great excuse to see the Herzog & de Meuron building, enjoy the winter atmosphere, and say hello and Merry Christmas.

The Welcome Room at Songeun

Exhibition Details

Exhibition: <On Weight> (Special Design Project for the 25th Songeun Art Award)

Dates: Dec 12, 2025 (Fri) – Feb 14, 2026 (Sat)

Location: SONGEUN Welcome Room

Event: Holiday Market (Dec 21, Sun)

If you have any questions or happen to be passing by, do not be afraid to message me through Instagram @fakeprintshop or E-mail studio@fakeprintshop.com

Please say hi :)