About the Exhibition

At the center of Love and Wondervision is the multi-dimensional installation Like a Bolt Out of the Blue, Faith Steps In and Sees You Through – Infinite Feels Arrangement, 2019–23. Its centerpiece is a sentient bed named Pom Pom Thunder whose magical sneakers enable her to travel on a superhighway of dreams, as she seeks to reunite family members who have been separated by inter-planetary conflicts. The title of the work, adapted from the lyrics of “When You Wish Upon a Star,” written by Leigh Harline and Ned Washington for Walt Disney’s 1940 film Pinocchio, reflects Choi’s optimistic outlook and her own childhood experience of longing to meet her birth family. Visitors to the exhibition are invited to write their own wishes on paper stars and contribute them to this installation. In Choi’s universe, having the courage to articulate one’s hopes—a process Choi calls “Big Time Dreaming”—generates fuel for Pom Pom Thunder’s dream-trekking sneakers, which allow her to leave the Moody at night to reunite lost parents and their searching children.

Two seminal videos central to Choi’s practice will be screened in the Media Gallery: Journey to the Cosmic Womb, Parts 1+2, 2018, and Spectra Force Vive: Infinite Pie Delivery Service, 2021. These original video collages feature puppetry, animation, music, and live-action, all created and edited by Choi in her studio. Offering a glimpse into the artist’s universe, the videos reflect Choi’s formative influences, including Walt Disney movies, the Muppets, and PeeWee’s Playhouse, as well as music ranging from rhythm and blues to punk rock. Actors whose identities are consistent with the individual puppets voice each character, nodding to Choi’s emphasis on authenticity and inclusivity.

Paintings created over the past several years further depict Choi’s expansive, fictional universe, called the “Cosmic Womb.” Somnioplexic Resonance, 2016, for example, features the character Prime Weaver, a cisgender female celestial spider who creates and protects a “Tapestry of Faith.” By strumming the tapestry’s strings with her long blue legs, she creates music that restores hope, heals wounds, and amplifies the powers of those who listen. Choi’s detailed style reflects the popular culture of her childhood, including The Maxx comic book series, Marvel Universe Series 3 cards, and the graphics of the original Nintendo Entertainment System.

Sculptural puppets of several characters featured in Choi’s videos and paintings will be displayed in the galleries. Central figures such as Bunnie, a transgender female cybernetic rabbit from the future, celebrate individuality, while Sweet Slice, a professional “You Are Enough” coach, delivers “infinite pies” of truth and kindness, teaching people they are enough, just as they are. Taken together, Choi’s videos, paintings, and sculptures introduce visitors to her “Cosmic Womb” and invite them on a journey of hope.

About the Artist

JooYoung Choi (b. 1982/3) was born in South Korea and emigrated to the United States in 1983 to live with her adopted family. Interested in art from an early age, she received a BFA from Massachusetts College of Art and Design and MFA from Lesley University in Boston. Choi’s work been exhibited at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art (Bentonville, AR), the Parrish Art Museum (Water Mill, NY), The Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston, Project Row Houses, (Houston, TX), The Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience (Seattle, WA), and The Crow Museum of Asian Art (Dallas, TX), among others. Choi participated in the Lawndale Artist Residency in Houston (2014) and the Harvester Artist Residency in Wichita, KS (2018). Choi lives and works in Houston, Texas.