Interactive playground by WON JI LIM EXPLORES rituals of control
Created by Chicago-based South Korean artist Won Ji Lim, Shifting Center (2026–ongoing) is a participatory sculptural installation that translates personal rituals of control, such as counting, checking, and aligning objects, into a physical, interactive environment. Measuring approximately 9 × 9 × 6 feet, the modular structure is constructed from metal pipes and connectors, forming a framework reminiscent of a playground jungle gym. The installation integrates suspended objects, woven membranes, transparent pockets, balancing mechanisms, and a series of rule-based activities that visitors can physically enter and navigate.
The artwork is a self-contained system, open to physical additions
The project by artist Won Ji Lim pairs structural framework with unstable or organic materials. Hog casing is tightly woven across sections of the metal frame, undergoing physical shifts as it stretches and dries over time to demonstrate the limits of fixed structural order. A suspended plumb bob set within a hand-woven square visualizes the process of seeking physical balance, while transparent pockets hold archived written thoughts that are photographed and re-integrated into the system to document the installation’s ongoing assembly. Additional interactive components include a converted baseball rebounder with a target graphic, numbered tags, and colored beads. Designed to be reconfigured over time, the modular installation functions as an evolving system where visitor movements continuously alter the spatial dynamics.
a system of numbered tags and colored beads translates personal rituals of counting, memorizing, and checking into physical actions within the installation
transparent pockets hold recurring thoughts and written records. Repetition becomes visible as individual entries accumulate within an organized system
Shifting Center’s layout encourages visitors to navigate through suspended objects and spatial obstacles
project info:
name: Shifting Center, 2026
artist: Won Ji Lim | @zeal.ji_
dimensions: 9 × 9 × 6 ft
materials: mixed media
designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. See more project submissions from our readers here.
edited by: Christina Vergopoulou | designboom
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