OMIJA, DADAEPO ROLL, 2025, virgin’s-bower, spicate false nettle, mountain yam, pumpkin vine, mile-a-minute vine, zelkova, cherry seed, wild mustard stalk, false winter grass, green ribbon, and other natural materials, dia. 200 cm.
OMIJA, DADAEPO ROLL, 2025, virgin’s-bower, spicate false nettle, mountain yam, pumpkin vine, mile-a-minute vine, zelkova, cherry seed, wild mustard stalk, false winter grass, green ribbon, and other natural materials, dia. 200 cm.
OMIJA is a collective from Busan, made up of five members, four visual artists and a tree doctor. Their names are Park Mija, Yoo Mija, Lee Mija, Jung Mija, and Hwang Mija. Together, they explore how humans and nature can live in balance. Their work grows from an interest in symbiotic relationships which are the surprising connections that happen by chance and bring mutual benefit.
DADAEPO ROLL takes its inspiration from the rich plant life along the Nakdong River Estuary, where the river meets the sea. The artists followed the river all the way from its source at Hwangji Pond in Taebaek, through the estuary, and finally to Dadaepo Beach, collecting plants along the way.
They mixed plants from many species and places into a single large sphere. The ball shows the hybrid plant life that has grown in the estuary over time. The ball, made from many different plants, brings together species from various regions, showing how the estuary’s ecosystem grows and changes over time.
Rolling the ball is both symbolic and playful. It reveals the hidden connections between the life of the ecosystem and our human world. Rolled together in a shared rhythm, it brings human joy together with the plants’ needs to survive and grow. Imagine a person enjoying the simple joy of rolling a ball, while a plant uses that same rolling ball to spread its seeds. This playful “liking” is what drives their Ball Rolling practice. In this way, DADAEPO ROLL becomes a living metaphor for how humans and non-humans coexist in an ongoing, interwoven relationship.
