Angela Bulloch Multi Waisted Zero Seoul, 2023

Angela Bulloch's wall painting draws on pattern developed by the British mathematician Roger Penrose (b. 1931-). Forming the numeral 0, the number of elements is determined by the size of the wall.

The choice of the number 0 has to do with its affinity to the illusionistic motif: the looping pattern create an impossible space, just as the shape of the number 0 (and 8) is created by a looped form.

In this context, the number 0 also refers to Bulloch's ongoing engagement with music (both in her art and as a guitarist) and to the legendary analog drum machine Roland TR-808, commonly known as the 808, manufactured by Roland Corporation between 1980 and 1983. It was one of the first drum machines to allow users to program rhythms instead of using preset patterns and heavily influenced the sound of 1980s music and became a cornerstone of the emerging electronic, dance, and hip-hop genres.

Wall paintings are an integral part of Angela Bulloch's practice. While they relate to her earlier cartoon-based wall drawings from the early 1990s and the graphic representations of her Rules Series works, the relationship to sculptural works was formalized in 2000 when she transferred onto the wall a two-dimensional version of the Pixel Boxes.