Artist Reimagines Folktale As Acoustic Sculpture Covered in Bells

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Around the world, countless folkloric stories concern the origins of the sun and the moon. In Korea, that folktale involves a brother and a sister who, as they scramble to escape a wild tiger, discover an iron ladder sent down to them by the Sky God. As they ascend toward the sky, the pair transform into the sun and the moon, and, soon after, the tiger is punished, his blood spilled over a sorghum stalk. This is the myth that inspired Haegue Yang’s latest installation at the Cleveland Museum of Art, elegantly weaving together cultural storytelling, movement, and sound.

At first glance, Sonic Cosmic Rope is deceptively simple, hanging vertically from the museum’s ceiling and composed only of tiny bells connected with rings. Activate the sculpture through touch, however, and its bells suddenly peal out in response, echoing through the gallery with a hollow and almost haunting timbre. This metallic rattling is not merely acoustic but visual as well, with the bells gently fluttering and shifting to accommodate shaking, hitting, and brushing. When taken together, both the tactile and sonic elements of Sonic Cosmic Rope mimic the brother and sister’s journey up the mythological ladder. Just as sound snakes up Yang’s rope, so too do the siblings themselves.

In its enormous yet pared-back presentation, Sonic Cosmic Rope seems ancient, reminiscent of a shrine that invites visitors to gather around it and listen carefully. Yang’s focus on sound also enhances this mythological atmosphere, referencing how, throughout history, oral and folkloric traditions often intertwine. Here, an iconic folktale is stripped back to its most essential parts, told not through a person’s voice but through their actions, which, in turn, triggers the gentle reverberations of the sculpture’s bells.

Much of Yang’s artwork reimagines mundane objects like yarn, light bulbs, and, in the case of Sonic Cosmic Rope, bells into more monumental and complex projects. In Clowny Yin Yang, for instance, Yang repurposes aluminum Venetian blinds, creating what resembles a massive, mechanical chandelier. Strange Fruit, on the other hand, showcases tangles of electric cords, cables, and light bulbs, mixing together a naturalistic theme with technological materials. Yang’s practice also revolves heavily around participatory and performative gestures.

Though Sonic Cosmic Rope can’t be touched by museum visitors, the Cleveland Museum of Art is currently offering docent-led tours, where the artwork is activated by a staff member. Tours are available through June 25, 2025, and can be reserved via the CMA website.