Before there is an image, there is a dark room, a vibration-isolated optical table and a laser. Every hologram by Jungwuk Kim is made by hand in his studio in Heyri Art Village, Paju.
1. Building the beam path
The laser beam is split in two. One beam lights the object; the other, the reference beam, goes straight to the film. Mirrors, lenses and mounts are set by hand for each work, and even a small vibration can ruin a recording.
2. Recording interference
Where the two beams meet on the film they form an interference pattern, a fine structure far smaller than a pixel. This pattern stores the depth and shape of the object, not just its outline.
3. Developing the film
Like a photograph, the exposed film is developed with chemicals and then left to dry, which takes patience. Laser wavelength, stability, humidity and temperature all change the result, so the studio is kept at a steady temperature all year.
4. Light brings it back
Under a single light source the finished film rebuilds the object in full depth. No screen, glasses or power is needed. With red, green and blue lasers recorded on one plate, the image can appear in full colour.
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