Sungho Bae's 'Apotropaia' Transforms Discarded Toys into Uncanny Sculptures

Seoul-born, Chicago-based artist Sungho Bae is presenting 'Apotropaia,' an exhibition of new sculptures and reliefs at 4th Ward Project Space in Chicago, on view through September 6. Bae gathers once-beloved stuffed animals from shops and waste-disposal sites, deconstructs them, and reconfigures them atop figurative armatures. The resulting works are vibrant, fleshy patchworks resembling organs, tissue, and muscle, incorporating materials such as used shamanic bells, discarded clothing, leather waste, taxidermy glass eyes, decommissioned ritual objects, terracotta clay, and epoxy clay. The exhibition title references the ancient Greek belief in apotropaic magic—objects that ward off evil—and explores how meaning is ascribed to objects and rituals. Notable works include 'Dansu,' a head and cross-cut neck with taxidermy eyes and feathers, presented on an aged solid-wood baduk (Go) board; the title refers to a state in the Korean game of Go where only one move remains before capture. Other works, titled 'Gut I,' 'Gut II,' and 'Gut III,' are more amorphous wall pieces with wispy hair and embedded clay, inviting close inspection. Bae's practice questions why cherished toys are discarded and how their former significance can be reshaped, creating tension between natural and artificial, spirit and death. The exhibition is supported by Colossal, an independent arts publication, which encourages membership for as little as $7 per month.