Every Island is a Mountain
19.4 – 8.9, 2024
Palazzo Malta – Ordine di Malta

Introduction

On Every Island is a Mountain:
The 30th Anniversary Exhibition of the Korean Pavilion
at the Venice Biennale
Jade Keunhye Lim (Artistic Director)

Installation view of Every Island is a Mountain (2024). Courtesy of Arts Council Korea. Photograph by Park Jimin Every Island is a Mountain is an exhibition that celebrates the upcoming 30^th anniversary of the Korean Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, the last national pavilion in the Giardini garden. Organized by the Arts Council Korea and mounted at the Palazzo Malta - Ordine di Malta during the 2024 Venice Biennale, this exhibition unites 36 artists who have participated in the Venice Biennale over the years, showcasing the evolution of Korean art. It traces Korean art's ascent to international prominence and contemporary significance over the past three decades, a journey fostered by its engagement with the Venice Biennale. The exhibition aims to examine the role of the Korean Pavilion in challenging nationalism, advocating for decolonization, and enriching the global art ecosystem with its diversity and vitality.

The title of the exhibition, ‘Every Island is a Mountain,’ symbolizes the connection of time and space through art. Just as islands are interconnected beneath the sea through underwater terrain and marine ecosystems, the theme suggests that individual lives and art are intrinsically linked to historical and social contexts. Serving as a conceptual anchor is philosophy of media art of late Nam June Paik, who played a pivotal role in establishing the Korean pavilion. His Golden-lion prize winning work, at the German Pavilion in 1993, proposed that the envisioning of the Eurasian continuum and the unifying potential of media technologies could reconnect the world divided by Western-centric ideologies. Additionally, the exhibition draws inspiration from conversations with participating artists about the exacerbated ecological and climatic challenges following the recent COVID-19 pandemic, along with works that use islands as symbols and metaphors for the circle of life, engagement with marine ecologists and activists in Venice, the Édouard Glissant's 'archipelagic thought,' emphasizing a non-hierarchical, decentralized approach.

Every Island is a Mountain showcases artistic thought and practice that transcends the boundaries between past, present, and future; individual and community; local and global; as well as technology and art, featuring works produced over the past 30 years, from those presented at the opening of the Korean Pavilion in 1995 to recent works. The artists' individual practices, interwoven through diverse senses and narratives, resonate with universal human values and artistic visions, unfolding into imaginative landscapes that span islands and mountains. The introduction features a documentary video that reinterprets archival materials related to the Korean Pavilion, collected by the ARKO Arts Archive, through the perspectives of next-generation artists, thereby recalling past memories to the present. The exhibition extends into the Palazzo's intimately clustered chambers, tranquil courtyards, and outdoor gardens, intertwining the timelines of medieval Venice with contemporary Korea. Furthermore, intermittent sound art pieces in the interstitial spaces envelop the individual works, much like islands embraced by the sea.

The Transparent Pavilion, nestled in the outdoor garden and modeled after the Korean Pavilion in Giardini, provides a haven of respite for both the Palazzo's neighbors and Biennale visitors. It also serves as a communal space for public programs, realized in collaboration with local research institutions and art organizations. Kicking off with Buon Giorno Signor Paik, a live performance as a tribute to Nam June Paik, the public programs in the garden aims to forge a nexus—akin to new islands and mountains—where local and global dialogues converge and interact.

Exhibition Overview

The Community of Islands and Mountains Pledging the Future of the Korean Pavilion
Somi Sim (Co-Curator)

Established in 1995, the Korean Pavilion marks the final national pavilion of the Venice Biennale nestled within the Giardini gardens. Over its history, the pavilion has hosted 39 artists along with numerous commissioners and collaborators, becoming a crucial intersection that blends cultural boundaries across Korea, Italy, and the wider world. While remembering this time follows a linear axis, the time experienced by the participating artists resembles an island, transformed and traversed through encounters with various other islands—shifting from one culture to another, from native tongues to foreign languages, from past to present and vice versa, and across multiple territories. At the inception of this exhibition, the formats, hierarchies, and conventions of commemorative exhibitions, often confined to a singular narrative, were critically examined. We approached the narrative of the Korean Pavilion and Korean art as ongoing knowledge and practice, unbound by these constraints.

Thus, 30th-anniversary special exhibition of the Korean Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, Every Island is a Mountain, transitions from segmented, vertical timelines to a unified, horizontal narrative, reimagining the exhibition as a global network of solidarity, connecting islands and mountains. The theme of the exhibition, “Every Island is a Mountain,” inspired by countless conversations with participating artists and Korean Pavilion officials, serves as a motif that amplifies not only the ecological imagination that intertwines the separate landscapes of islands and mountains but also the interdisciplinary discourse of Korean art that has evolved through crossing and interacting with various boundaries. Grounded in an ecological and cyclical worldview that connects different dimensions, the exhibition functions as an organic motif across graphic design, exhibition design and composition, participating works, and public programs.

Korean Art Responding to the History and Place of Medieval Architectural Spaces

The works of the 36 artists (teams) in the Korean Pavilion respond to the ancient historical layers and inclusive spirit of the Palazzo Malta – Ordine di Malta, with the exhibition configured as a stage for hospitality and coexistence. As an architectural backdrop, this exhibition space boasts a long history, having been built in the 12th century along a canal in Venice’s Castello district. For centuries, Venice has welcomed crusaders, pilgrims, merchants, and others through its watery streets, and the Palazzo building, known as a 16thcentury structure, has adapted to various purposes throughout its turbulent history, yet has continuously served the local community as a space for exchange and renewal. The exhibition is designed to organically connect the history and place of Palazzo Malta with the spirit and message of contemporary Korean art, creating a space for cooperation and exchange across individuals and nations, art and reality, cultures and borders.

Drawing on the profound historical and locational significance of the Palazzo’s architecture, the exhibition unfolds in a flow that seamlessly transitions between internal and external areas, places and non-places, main and auxiliary spaces, and across various temporal and cultural divides. Viewing each distinct architectural feature of the Palazzo—such as the corridor-flanked exhibition rooms, the centrally located courtyard encircled by a cloister, medieval stables, and the newly restored fresco room—as ‘islands,’ the exhibition’s layout thoughtfully guides visitors through these ‘islands,’ creating a nuanced topography akin to submerged mountain ranges, showcased through the works of 36 artists. In doing so, it highlights the sense of place generated by the exhibition as a space of hospitality without boundaries, aspiring to create a borderland where deterritorialization, ecology, solidarity, and sustainability can be envisioned and discussed. This exhibition, which visitors can explore as they organically move through the entire building, unfolds as a flow of archival displays, marquee works by previous Pavilion participants, and outdoor exhibitions.

Archive Exhibition: 30 Years of The Pavilion Bridging Local and Global

Installation view of Every Island is a Mountain (2024). Courtesy of Arts Council Korea. Photograph by Park Jimin As a prologue, the archive exhibition is situated at the threshold of the exhibition venue, surveying the historical context and significance of the Korean Pavilion’s location while delivering the voices of its past and the visions for its future. Using archives preserved by the Arts Archive of Arts Council Korea, the exhibition offers a multi-layered perspective spanning three decades, illuminating hidden narratives, including Nam June Paik’s foundational philosophical insights and the Pavilion’s architectural evolution by Seok Chul Kim and Franco Mancuso. This section revisits the journey from local to global, encapsulating the dialogues of contemporary art initiated by the Venice Biennale. Featured are sculptures and drawings by Kim In Kyum and Jheon Soocheon from the inaugural 1995 showcase, Yun Hyong-keun’s drawings, and Bahc Yiso’s contributions from 2003 and 2005. Moreover, archive videos from emerging artists Songhee Noh (b.1992) and Paik Jongkwan (b.1982) offer new insights, reinterpreting the dialogue between archival records and collective memory, charting the Korean Pavilion’s 30-year journey.1 Paik Jongkwan’s Waiting and Breathing (2024) poetically captures the narrative of the periphery, with myriad superimposed moments of footsteps, sounds, lights, shadows, and even stray cats surrounding the Korean Pavilion exhibition. Meanwhile, Songhee Noh’s Random Access Space (2024), explores another potential for archives by reconstructing the fragmentary traces of information floating on the internet into a dynamic virtual space.

The Featured Exhibition: Towards a World of Coexistence Beyond Difference and Separation

Installation view of Every Island is a Mountain (2024). Courtesy of Arts Council Korea. Photograph by Park Jimin The second segment unfolds across the various internal and external architectural spaces of Palazzo Malta, showcasing marquee works from former Korean Pavilion artists. At the entrance, visitors encounter Lee Wan’s KonneXus: Mountains in Islands (2024), which delves into 30 years of the Korean Pavilion’s history through artificial intelligence, expanding upon the humanistic and technological imagination via thematic dialogues and AI docents. Following the archival exhibition, the first major work within the main exhibition space is by siren eun young jung. Her work meticulously reorganizes and documents the final archives of the first generation of female Gukgeuk performers, drawing profound attention to the issues of vanishing history and memory. This segment of the exhibition fully engages with the historical and locational transformations of the Palazzo, presenting works that open perceptions to memory, history, friendship, neighborliness, and the norms and boundaries of community. Featured artists include siren eun young jung, Nakhee Sung, Sora Kim, Park Sejin, Lee Yongbaek, Noh Sang-Kyoon, Jewyo Rhii, Ham Jin, Kim Beom, Sungsic Moon, Jane Jin Kaisen, Gimhongsok, Yunchul Kim, Kiwon Park, and Yeondoo Jung. These artists’ pieces evoke contemplation on recovering memory from fragmented and nonlinear histories and lives, guiding visitors through the Palazzo’s spaces with a measured pace and rhythm, inducing a calm and reflective journey.

This exhibition particularly centers on site-specific works that respond to the architectural context and sense of place inherent in the Palazzo’s spaces. The exhibition respects the historical heritage and context of the Palazzo while exploring a peaceful coexistence with Korean art. Rather than emphasizing differences and divergences stemming from territories, nations, and identities, the exhibition reflects on connection amid a world rife with contemporary conflicts, wars, chaos, and despair. A quintessential example is Bae Young-whan’s Anxiety―Seoul 5:30 PM (2012), installed in the Palazzo’s central courtyard. This piece resonates with the sounds of temple bells recorded at twelve temples around Seoul at dusk, harmonizing with the chimes of Venetian bells to convey a harmonious resonance that transcends separation and boundaries. Meanwhile, Heinkuhn Oh’s photographs, displayed in the cloister, depict portraits of made-up young women, conveying contemporary identity. The former stable, reinterpreted through contemporary sensibilities, features video and media installations by Moon Kyungwon & Jeon Joonho, Hyungkoo Lee, and Cody Choi. In the community space for Alzheimer’s patients, Do Ho Suh, hyung woo Lee, and Kimsooja present works that thoughtfully bridge the gap between cultural specificity and universality, proposing an alternative perspective towards a world of coexistence beyond differences. Furthermore, works by Michael Joo and Inkie Whang are displayed in the historically significant space with restored frescoes. Near the end of the indoor exhibition, preceding the garden, Hwayeon Nam’s archival installation, documenting plants from the 2020 Korean Pavilion exhibition, navigates multiple social boundaries, weaving together disparate territories, places, and people.

Meanwhile, this exhibition showcases numerous new and recent works by past participating artists, providing a comprehensive overview of the changes in the contemporary art scene and societal sphere, and their relationship with Korean art. Alongside Lee Wan’s previously mentioned KonneXus: Mountains in Islands, the exhibition features Sora Kim’s an icy chill of a frozen fart (2024), which questions the existence of sound experiences; Yunchul Kim’s Strata (2024), dealing with semi-solids as living materials; Jane Jin Kaisen’s video GUARDIANS (2024), traversing the boundary of death; Jewyo Rhii’s Outside the Comfort Zone (2024), commemorating numerous collaborators who have supported each other on the periphery of artistic practice; and new paintings by Inkie Whang, Sungsic Moon, and Nakhee Sung, which reinterpret tradition and civilization, showcasing the vibrancy and breadth of contemporary Korean art, as well as a new installation by Nakyoung Sung.

New challenges in Korean art arise not only from the creation of new works but also from the reinterpretation of past contributions to the Korean Pavilion through contemporary lenses. Highlighted in this context are Do Ho Suh’s Who Am We? (2000), creatively transforming thousands of graduation photos into wallpaper for his 2001 showcase; Yeondoo Jung’s Evergreen Tower (2001), depicting the landscapes of family and residence within Korean society for his 2005 exhibit; Kwak Hoon’s Kalpa/Sound: What Marco Polo Left Behind (1995), renowned for its Onggi (traditional Korean earthenware pottery) installation and accompanying performances, such as a Daegeum (traditional Korean transverse bamboo flute) concert and a Buddhist nun’s performance, marking the Pavilion’s 1995 debut; reconfigured works by Kim In Kyum and Jheon Soocheon in archival form; and Bahc Yiso’s incisive drawings critiquing cultural imperialism, all extending beyond the confines of cultural and temporal limitations and offering insights that resonate on a universal level.

Outdoor Exhibition: Space of Symbiosis and Welcome

Installation view of Every Island is a Mountain (2024). Provided by Bf. Photograph by Hyunjung Kwon.Moving toward the concluding part of the exhibit, the outdoor exhibition unfolds, creating a shared space rooted in its openness. Following an architectural voyage within the Palazzo, traversing hallways, cloisters, stables, and communal areas, visitors emerge into a vast garden extending towards the scenic views of Venice. This garden, known as the largest private garden in Venice at 3,000 square meters, with its intricate, vein-like waterways, continues the exhibition leisurely while simultaneously providing a space to imagine new communal encounters. It serves as a platform for installations inspired by the ecological imagination central to the exhibition’s theme, as well as a series of public programs aimed at promoting artistic endeavors and fostering alternative communal models amid a global crisis deepened by strife and conflict. Highlights include Chung Seoyoung’s Evidence (2014), where living beings and objects come together in a collective stance; Ik-Joong Kang’s recent work Arirang (2024), compiling hundreds of refugee drawings; Choi Jeong Hwa’s nATuReNuRture (2023-24), promoting ecological synergy and cohabitation with a Styrofoam cairn; and Kwak Hoon’s distinguished piece from the 1995 Korean Pavilion. Each work emphasizes the vital role of artistic engagement in addressing global conflicts, ecological challenges, and the quest for peace and unity.

Korean artists endeavor to connect disparate realms—uniting the past with the present, the celestial with the terrestrial, humanity with nature, and islands with mountains—reflecting the Korean Pavilion’s aspiration for a future marked by hospitality and openness. In homage to the Pavilion’s ethos of architectural accessibility, OUR LABOUR’s Transparent Pavilion (2024) stands as a welcoming sanctuary for all. This area champions dialogue, exchange, friendship, and hospitality, fostering collective moments that pave the way to the future. Spanning the Archive Exhibition that encapsulates three decades of the Pavilion’s legacy, a showcase of past contributors’ marquee works, and the outdoor exhibition, Every Island is a Mountain crafts new archipelagic landscapes, invoking the essence of islands and mountains. By interweaving the Outdoor Exhibition and the public programs, the exhibition fosters an environment ripe for unity and dialogue, envisaging a future replete with community interactions and connections.

OUR LABOUR, Transparent Pavilion, 2024, Stainless Steel 11.5×11.5×3.5 m. Provided by Bf. Photograph by Hyunjung Kwon.

Designed by OUR LABOUR, the spatial designer of the exhibition, Transparent Pavilion (2024) epitomizes sharing and hospitality that pays homage to the open architectural blueprint of the Korean Pavilion in the Giardini garden. By recalibrating the traditional Korean dimension (10 chuk, 3m) to a scale that blends seamlessly with the Ordine di Malta's garden (6 chuk, 1.8m), it enables fluid engagements and communal experiences through the integration of indoor and outdoor vistas. The architectural hallmark of a lateral structure and a reflective ceiling echoes the encompassing landscape, laying the groundwork for a spectrum of events and opportunities between the audience and the locale. This pavilion, embracing a plethora of events and visitors, emerges as a sanctuary open to everyone. Its public programs transform it into a hub for dialogue, exchange, camaraderie, and hospitality, weaving a narrative that extends into the future.