Barbershop Wonderland

Barbershop Wonderland 

Jeon Byeong Sam (South Korea) 

Location: Clifford Square 

Two hundred barbershop poles displaying a spectrum of colours stand in a long, curtain-like formation.

As you approach the installation, its sensors detect your presence, causing the poles to light up and spin. The cascading activation creates an illusion of light ascending rapidly, seemingly defying gravity. 

Barbershops have existed since 3500 BC. In medieval times, they served dual purposes: a place for both haircuts and medical procedures. Today, modern barbershops no longer treat physical ailments, yet retain a healing capacity of a different kind, functioning as spaces of routine care. The barber knows you, engages in casual conversations, and provides comfort through familiar ritual and companionship.

Barbershop Wonderland translates the qualities of care and comfort into light. The colourful cascading illumination suggests what barbershops have always offered: unexpected lift, created through small acts of connection.

About the artist

Jeon Byeong Sam creates abstract art through meticulous, densely packed arrangements of specific objects.

Trained in sculpture at Hongik University, he holds an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and an MS from the University of California, Irvine. In 2014, Korea's Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning named him a 'Homocriens' convergence talent – a recognition for artists who bridge disciplines. He served as artistic director for the 9th Cheongju International Biennale and has exhibited globally, from the UNESCO headquarters in Paris to collaborations with Lamborghini in Beijing, appearing at festivals and institutions in Japan, the United States, Turkey, Ireland, Cuba, Russia, and Denmark.

Presented by The Fullerton Heritage

The Fullerton Heritage