Bae Young-whan

b. 1969
Artist of the Korean Pavilion at the 51st Venice Biennale, 2005

Bae Young-whan benefits from the support of the maison Hermès, as nominated artist of the 7th Hermès Foundation Missulsang in 2006.

Bae Young-whan illuminates and shapes the collective psychological and emotional state of contemporary individuals with his unique sensibility. His methodology, which defies characterization by a single approach, spans a variety of mediums, including installation, media art, two-dimensional works, and public art. He engages with the universal issues of humanity delicately yet incisively, utilizing not just popular music and everyday objects but also deeply abstract and symbolic visual elements.

Recreated for this exhibition, Anxiety—Seoul 5:30 PM (2012) features a sound mix of bell sounds recorded at 5:30 PM from twelve different temples in the Seoul area, alongside a bell tower abstracted into a white cube and photographs that layer the images of these bells. In the context of Buddhism, the sound of the temple bells is meant to provide a brief respite from worldly anxieties for those who hear them. The bell-less white bell tower creates an impression of all humanity's worries converging into a single sound before fading away. This encourages a focus on auditory rather than visual components, thus deepening the understanding of the work's intent. The bells of Seoul find a resonant counterpart in the ringing from the church of the Ordine di Malta monastery in Venice, transcending geographic and cultural divides through their shared resonance.

Bahc Yiso

1957~2004
Artist of the Korean Pavilion at the 50th Venice Biennale, 2003
Artist of the Korean Pavilion at the 51st Venice Biennale, 2005

Bahc Yiso benefits from the support of the maison Hermès, as awarded artist of the 3rd Hermès Foundation Missulsang in 2002.

Bahc Yiso (1957–2004) played various roles—as an artist, art space operator, curator, critic, and educator—in the United States and Korea from the mid-1980s to the early 2000s, fostering social relationships within the art world. His works candidly reveal his thoughts on the act of producing art and the inherent powerlessness behind it, invoking sharp questions and profound reflections that delve into contemporary systems and art.

During the preparation phase, Bahc Yiso meticulously documented his ideas and plans for installations in detailed drawings. Reconstituted as an archive for this exhibition, his works include drawings and photographic records of the installation process for Venice Biennale (2003), presented at the 50th Venice Biennale Korean Pavilion's exhibition, Landscape of Differences. The installation, named Venice Biennale, appeared as a fragile structure in the Korean Pavilion's front yard, with four wooden beams precariously standing in basins filled with water. A corner of this installation featured miniature sculptures of the Biennale building and various national pavilions, wittily satirizing the cultural hegemony and authority vested in art events.

Choi Jeong Hwa

b.1961
Artist of the Korean Pavilion at the 51st Venice Biennale, 2005

For nearly three decades, Choi Jeong Hwa has provocatively addressed the myths of modernity and anthropocentric thought through plastic, presenting it as a 'living material' that shakes the foundations of binary thinking built by humanity. His works reconfigure the networks between life and matter, human and non-human, nature and civilization.

His piece nATuReNuRture (2024), similar in form to ancient stone towers, is crafted from marine debris gathered with local university students along the southern and western coastlines of Korea. The weathered and eroded styrofoam, gradually assimilating with natural objects, forms towers that encapsulate the artist's archaeological reflections on the future of ecosystems. By monumentally displaying the potential of objects, this work stands in opposition to human-centric views, prompting a reflective critique of the binary perspectives between self and other, subject and object, organic and inorganic, and the innate and the acquired aspects of nature. Not merely as isolated entities but as interconnected beings—holobionts—the artist's perspective on life and matter suggests possibilities for diverse connections and coexistence in an era marked by climate crises, disasters, and escalating conflicts. The twelve towers installed in the garden resonate with the exhibition's theme Every Island is a Mountain, inspired by discussions with the artist, delivering a message of homage and connection to whole life.

Chung Seoyoung

b.1965
Artist of the Korean Pavilion at the 50th Venice Biennale, 2003

Chung Seoyoung benefits from the support of the maison Hermès, in the framework of her participation in the solo exhibition presented at L’Atelier Hermès, in 2007.

Chung Seoyoung's work captures fleeting moments of resonance between her inner self and the surrounding objects. She utilizes everyday items and materials not just for their physical attributes but as a means to establish a deep, intuitive connection with them. Thus, her art transcends symbolic interpretation, directly engaging with viewers on a more elemental level.

Evidence (2014) is a photograph showcasing a hand tightly holding two pens, crumpled paper, leaves, and branches simultaneously. This assembly of mundane or artificial objects and natural elements, along with human body parts, forms a unified entity, yet subtly exposes the inherent tensions among them. While the unusual combination invites speculation about its context, the image ultimately eschews the need for a logical explanation. It posits that the mere entanglement of these objects within the world acts as self-evident proof of their existence.

Cody Choi

b. 1961
Artist of the Korean Pavilion at the 57th Venice Biennale, 2017

Since the mid-1980s, Cody Choi has engaged in an in-depth exploration of cultural identity and power dynamics within contemporary society, functioning as both an artist and a cultural theorist. His artistic ventures, encompassing painting, sculpture, and installation, spotlight the clashes and emergent hybrid cultures arising from the interstices of diverse cultures and the ongoing emergence of new societal phenomena.

Downside is Heavy (2010-2011) is a text-based artwork involving Choi’s translation of passages from Zhuangzi's Inner Chapters into English, phonetically interpreted in Korean, displayed using neon lights on a wall. Reflecting on his extensive experiences abroad and his outsider's perspective upon returning to Korea, Choi identifies an ironic contrast between deeply rooted Confucian values and a Westernized Korean setting. This piece recontextualizes and visualizes Zhuangzi's philosophies, highlighting the ironic downshift individuals experience during the transition to a hybrid culture, burdened by their own gravity.

Do Ho Suh

b. 1962
Artist of the Korean Pavilion at the 49th Venice Biennale, 2001

Do Ho Suh benefits from the support of the maison Hermès, as awarded artist of the 4th Hermès Foundation Missulsang in 2003.

Do Ho Suh explores themes derived from a meticulous investigation of the interfaces between individuality and collectivity, Eastern and Western cultures, and private and public spheres. His works capture the sensations arising from the transposition of spaces experienced through his own migration from Seoul to the United States. Notably, the concept of 'home'—both as a physical space inhabited by an individual and as a reflection of identity—is a significant motif in Suh's artistic practice.

Who Am We? (2000), fashioned as wallpaper, masquerades as beige wallpaper from afar but reveals itself to be intricately filled with tiny facial photographs upon closer examination. Suh compiled tens of thousands of miniscule portraits from his Korean high school yearbook to fabricate this wallpaper. A close look allows the observation of each individual's unique traits, yet stepping back transforms these detailed portraits into mere dots within a vast aggregation. This method subtly illustrates how individual identities are eclipsed by standardized identities enforced by society or institutions. The grammatically playful title 'Who Am We?' underscores the blurred boundaries between the individual and the collective.

Gimhongsok

b. 1964
Artist of the Korean Pavilion at the 51st Venice Biennale, 2005

Gimhongsok explores the nation and society of Korea as shaped by Western modernity. He humorously critiques the disrupted new order of the East through his interpretation and translation of Westernized society and culture. Furthermore, he critiques both the ethical politicization of Western contemporary art, as depicted in art history, and the greedy pursuit of performance preservation. Rejecting the notion that an artist can be represented by a single image, he expresses his art through a diverse array of mediums and materials.

The Solitude of Silences project features hyperrealistic sculptures that represent workers or people taking a brief rest. Gimhongsok critiques the hierarchical divide between artists and performers in contemporary art, underscoring the significance of various roles beyond that of the individual artist. By substituting real people with hyperrealistic sculptures, he critiques the capitalist compensation system and the systematically lower status of performers relative to artists. The depicted professions specifically spotlight those unable to visit art museums during regular hours due to their jobs, and impoverished artists marginalized within the art world.

Ham Jin

b. 1978
Artist of the Korean Pavilion at the 51st Venice Biennale, 2005

Ham Jin is well-known for creating micro-sculptures using various colors of polymer clay as his primary material. His creations, which are discernible only upon close observation or through a magnifying glass, manifest entities previously nonexistent in our world—resembling marine microorganisms or monstrous amalgamations of various forms. Focused on the intricacies of micro-ecosystems rather than expansive landscapes, Ham dedicates himself to a detailed exploration of these miniature realms. He captures the world as he experiences it through his sculptures in an impromptu and playful manner, enriching them with layers of his imaginative insights.

This exhibition features four colorful clay micro-sculptures: In Side 2 (2022), No Name 10 (2022), No Name 11 (2022), and Planet 4 (2021). Unlike his early sculptures, which staged scenes akin to stop-motion animation featuring humans or animals, his recent works eschew specific stories or messages. Instead, he explores the accidental and fluid possibilities that arise from the mixing of colors and the twisting of forms as he attaches clay to wires.

Heinkuhn Oh

b. 1963
Artist of the Korean Pavilion at the 51st Venice Biennale, 2005

Heinkuhn Oh explores the paradoxical desires and anxieties within Korean society by presenting individual portraits collectively among specific groups. Initially, he focused on capturing groups such as high school girls, soldiers, and middle-aged women (ajummas), by treating them as seemingly homogeneous categories. Later, starting with the Portraying Anxiety series in 2006, he broadened his perspective to explore the nuanced anxieties concealed behind the faces of a diverse array of individuals.

In Cosmetic Girls (2006-2008) from the Portraying Anxiety series, Oh critiques societal standards through heavily made-up young women. Despite the individual makeup application, the portraits reveal a uniformity in beauty trends that were prevalent in Korea over 15 years ago, including pale skin, colored lenses, blush, and bold eyeliner. Extreme close-ups that focus on the skin and makeup, alongside the repetition of emotionless expressions, underscore the stereotypical image of 'teenage girls.' These portraits, while showcasing attempts at individual expression through makeup, collectively uncover the underlying anxieties about desires and identities shaped by societal and media standards of beauty, illustrating the complex interplay between personal expression and collective societal norms.

Hwayeon Nam

b. 1979
Artist of the Korean Pavilion at the 58th Venice Biennale, 2019

Hwayeon Nam benefits from the support of the maison Hermès, as nominated artist of the 10th Hermès Foundation Missulsang in 2009.

Hwayeon Nam traverses various archival realms to trace subjects, working across phenomena inherent in historical contexts and physical time. Additionally, she captures individuals, objects, spaces, and temporal sequences in choreographed movements, concentrating on human desires and the associated mechanisms of cultural reproduction via video creations and performances. Through this process, Nam constructs the performative nature of her artistic practice by questioning the concept of the present time.

A Garden in Italy, (2024) derives its name from a 1936 record by the modern dancer Seung-hee Choi (1911-1969), who is a focal point of Nam's in-depth research. Exhibited at the 58th Venice Biennale Korean Pavilion's 2019 exhibition History Has Failed Us, but No Matter (Art Director: Hyunjin Kim), A Garden in Italy (2019) was an installation featuring Asian-origin plants categorized by their blooming periods in the garden behind the Korean Pavilion, which was accompanied by an hourly playback of Seung-hee Choi's voice. This exhibition features a selection of photographs aligned with the blooming periods of about ten plants from the previous exhibition, archival materials, and quiet, half-hourly playbacks of Seung-hee Choi's voice recordings. Together, they delve into Seung-hee Choi's 'Eastern Dance' during a divisive period marked by political choices and artistic desires, recontextualizing Nam's extensive research.

*Seung-hee Choi (1911-1969), born in the era of Japanese colonial rule, ventured to Japan at sixteen to apprentice with the modern dancer Bac Ishii (石井 漠, 1886-1962). She subsequently explored Korean traditional and Eastern dances on her own terms, becoming a pivotal figure in the era of modern dance. Choi's dance and journey encapsulate the dilemmas and epochal conflicts of an artist straddling Korea and Japan, tradition and modernity, the East and the West.

hyung woo Lee

b. 1955
Artist of the Korean Pavilion at the 47th Venice Biennale, 1997

hyung woo Lee's work visualizes a return to 'the there is,' employing the diverse methodologies of 'the purity of art' explored in Eye & Mind (1961). He seeks to reveal the inner essence by stripping away and deconstructing the superficial visibility of objects, a process that embodies the 'nature' or 'complete being (the there is)' of these objects.

untitled (2023) represents the artist's endeavor to render the 'unseen' into the 'visible,' exposing that which should be seen. While capturing the notable variability of physical lightness and mobility, the piece also ambivalently reflects the artist's determined quest to discern the hidden weight of 'permanence.' untitled is created by finely shaving a specific quantity of hinoki cypress through repeated actions, achieving a stable hexahedron shape. This echoes the natural supporting mechanisms in traditional Korean architecture, where separate elements support one another's weight and form. Recomposed from surface to line, this work breaks down density, fills the void with the ambiance of the exhibition space, and imparts an unseen reductive structure, introducing an element of temporality.

Hyungkoo Lee

b. 1969
Artist of the Korean Pavilion at the 52nd Venice Biennale, 2007

Hyungkoo Lee is renowned for his original and experimental explorations of the relationship between the human body, senses, and art. Using his body as the primary research subject, Lee continues his sculptural experiments with materials such as resin, plastic, metal, and urethane, showcasing a broad spectrum of work across sculpture, photography, video, and performance.

In this exhibition, Lee presents Measure (2014), a video piece underpinned by meticulous research on equine vision and dressage. The work reenacts the elegance and motion of horses through the human body, using Instrument 1 (2014)—a contraption comprising metal tubes modeled after a horse's hindquarters and tail—to replicate a horse's gait and gallop.

Lee's movement in the video is intentional; he meticulously analyzes dressage to design and execute the graceful motions and pathways of horses accurately, employing drawing as a preparatory method. In this way, Lee transforms his body into a percussion instrument, transposing the rhythms produced by hooves and human movement into a musical composition. Lee's work transcends mere physical mimicry, demonstrating an intimate understanding and mastery of his physique. He offers a unique experience that obscures the distinction between human and animal locomotion, inviting viewers into the captivating realm of artistic allure.

Ik-Joong Kang

b.1960
Artist of the Korean Pavilion at the 47th Venice Biennale, 1997

Ik-Joong Kang's artistic journey began with assembling small 3x3 inch paintings during his academic years in the United States in the early 1980s, expanding into a broader spectrum of practice that included painting, sculpture, expansive installations, site-specific works, murals, and public art, unfolding across various cities. Kang's work aims to convey the importance of connectivity and mutual existence. The participatory nature of his art engages the public, bridging gaps between individuals, communities, and connections severed in divided worlds.

The 4-meter square piece Arirang (2024) captures the collective yearning and hope of those living in the shadow of the legacy left by wartime division. More than seventy years after the onset of the Korean War, the memories of those burdened by its aftermath serve as both a relentless reminder of suffering and the sole beacon of hope for commemorating a homeland that is gradually fading from memory. Kang has collected hundreds of individual drawings from a scattered diaspora of people displaced by war. Situated in the peaceful garden of the Ordine di Malta, Arirang delivers a poignant message to humanity, wounded by today's escalating conflicts and wars, echoing the displaced individuals' aspirations for a future where peace and coexistence prevail.

In Kyum Kim

1945 - 2018
Artist of the Korean Pavilion at the 46th Venice Biennale, 1995

Kim In Kyum, who participated in the Korean Pavilion exhibition at the Venice Biennale in 1995, was an artist who created spaces of contemplation through the use of simple forms and the inherent properties of materials. Beginning with his Project series, which actively drew the space itself into the composition of his works, Kim placed an emphasis on the sculptural element of space, persistently delving into the essence of form between two-dimensional and three-dimensional works until his passing in 2018.

Project21-Natural Net (1995), showcased in this exhibition through a miniature mockup and a piece of concept drawing, offers a glimpse into the site-specific installation's design centered around the spiral staircase inside the Korean Pavilion. Utilizing the transparency of the blue-purple acrylic structure, the design of the installation, enveloping the staircase, creates dynamic circulation by filling the encircling structure with water, propelled by an air compressor. As visitors ascend the staircase, they are captured by CCTV and can see themselves on monitors installed on the second floor. This piece, as Kim described, is a 'network where nature and modern science meet and communicate,' offering a mystical experience to visitors of the Korean Pavilion, with the swirling sound of water and the reflections of visitors' faces merging like a mirage within the layered structures.

Inkie Whang

b. 1951
Artist of the Korean Pavilion at the 50th Venice Biennale, 2003

Inkie Whang undertakes a complex journey at the confluence of Eastern and Western cultures, merging the boundary between tradition and modernity through his digital landscapes. These landscapes reinterpret both natural surroundings and classical East Asian landscapes with a contemporary lens. Whang combines traditional art materials and everyday tools to create his unique vision of landscapes. Moving his workspace from urban centers like New York and Seoul to natural settings has enabled him to eschew artificial and societal constructs, dedicating his focus to the observation and portrayal of contemporary natural landscapes.

His latest creation, Hey, buddy (2023), is envisioned from the perspective of a future archaeologist, offering an imaginative view of our present landscape as seen 50 years from now and from a standpoint 5,000 years ahead. This work encapsulates Whang's signature digital landscapes, merging visions of today and tomorrow in a manner reminiscent of Joseon dynasty's literati paintings. The thoughts on civilization, carved onto the canvas and intertwined with lime, minerals, and layers of paint, transcend traditional interpretations, revealing the complex sensations of contemporary civilization. This piece connects with Whang's ongoing experiments across different eras and everyday life, presenting a bold visual treatment that invites viewers to traverse through past, present, and future timelines.

* Literati painting during the Joseon dynasty represents a fine art genre characterized by its emphasis on expressing the inner essence of its subjects through scholarship and refinement, prioritizing calligraphic finesse over detailed technique and descriptions. It primarily revolved around scholar-officials rather than professional painters. The late Joseon period saw an increase in literati painters, especially with the introduction of Southern School painting from China. Prominent artists such as Kang Sehwang, Yi Insang, Jo Yeongseok, and Sim Sajeong marked this era, with Kim Jeonghee bringing the tradition to its peak in the 19th century.

Jane Jin Kaisen

b. 1980
Artist of the Korean Pavilion at the 58th Venice Biennale, 2019

Jane Jin Kaisen’s practice involves extensive interdisciplinary research, longterm collaborations, and engagement with minority communities. Spanning the mediums of video installation, film, photography, performance, and text, she has continuously explored themes of memory, migration, borders, and spiritual cultures at the intersection of lived experience and larger political histories.

HALMANG, 2023
HALMANG revolves around a group of eight Haenyeo sea divers in their 70s and 80s. It is filmed by the coast of Jeju Island near a shamanic shrine for the wind goddess Yongdeung Halmang. The women used to depart for the sea from this very location where Kaisen’s grandmother also worked as a haenyeo during her lifetime. In Jeju, shamanic goddesses are referred to as ‘halmang’ while it is also the Jeju term for ‘grandmother’ and a respectful way of addressing women. Central to the work is its focus on the collective use and care for sochang; a long cotton cloth associated with female labor and a symbol of the cycle of life and death and humans’ connection to the spirit world.

Acknowledgments: Haenyeo: Yang Mu Ok, Hyun Soon Ja, Gu Young Ae, Koh Byung Sun, Hyun Soon Shim, Oh Ki Sook, Oh Soon Ja, Jung Chun Ja. Production: Incisions. Concept and Editing: Jane Jin Kaisen. Photography: Guston Sondin-Kung. Line Producer: Soyoung Kwon. Production Coordination: Yo-E Ryou. Production assistance: Grace Sungeun Kim. Music: Lior Suliman featuring The Song of the Haenyeos (Jeju Special Governing Province Intangible Cultural Asset No. 1) by Gang Gyung Ja and Song of Haenyeo Preservation Association. Colorist: Edoardo Rebecchi. Sound Engineer: Yoram Vazan. Special Thanks: Hado Fishing village, Ahn Hye Kyoung, Koh Young Bong, Kim Seongnae. With Support From: The Danish Artistic Research Funding Programme, Ministry of Culture and The Danish Arts Foundation.

GUARDIANS, 2024
GUARDIANS takes place on one of Jeju Island’s many volcanic cones, locally referred to as oreum. On its lush grassy top sits an ancestral grave enveloped by a lava stone wall. A group of children arrive at the burial mound carrying with them kkokdu, Korean wooden funerary figures, which used to adorn funeral biers and served to guide and accompany the dead on their journey. The figures represent different characters –entertainers, guardians, caregivers, as well as real and mystical animals– and attest to a desire for the departed to enter the other world safely and surrounded by joy. As the children animate the dolls through their play, their interactions and outbursts of joy become expressions of life itself, the fleeting nature of all experience, and the interconnectedness between life and death, nature and the human world.

Acknowledgments: Children: Heo Seoyoon, Heo Yoonwoo, Juno Hitchcock-Yoo, Park Sevon, Park Soha, Sia Rodriguez, Lihan Rodriguez. Production: Incisions. Concept and Editing: Jane Jin Kaisen. Director of Photography: Guston Sondin-Kung. Line Producer: Soyoung Kwon. Production Coordination: Yo-E Ryou. Music: Lior Suliman. Guqin: Wu Na. Colorist: Edoardo Rebecchi. Sound Engineer: Yoram Vazan. Special Thanks: Hong Boram, Park Cheayoung, Heo Sooho, Han Yunseon, Eunju Yoo, Grant Hitchcock, Inhai Seo, Rodriguez Lazaro, Theo Bu, Ahn Hyekyoung, Yongji Hyun. With Support From: The Danish Artistic Research Funding Programme, Ministry of Culture.

Jewyo Rhii

b.1971
Artist of the Korean Pavilion at the 51st Venice Biennale, 2005

Jewyo Rhii benefits from the support of the maison Hermès, as nominated artist of the 8th Hermès Foundation Missulsang in 2007.

Jewyo Rhii has consistently explored the transient and mutable qualities of materials and structures, showcasing her deep interest in the latent value and resilience of those existing on the periphery of societal systems. Through diverse mediums such as drawing, installation, performance, and publication, she has created Love Your Depot (2019–), an innovative storage system and alternative platform fostering interdependency among peers across various cities.

Her mural Outside the Comfort Zone (2024) narrates the stories of artists she encountered, observed, and collaborated with in Seoul's art community since her late twenties in the late 1990s. Rhii has captured intimate memories of artists living with unique destinies, navigating life on the margins of established institutions. Her work is rich with simple drawings that intertwine vivid imagery, humor, and authentic episodes, now selected and reimagined as murals for this exhibition. These pieces subtly expose the relationships and influences among contemporary artists coexisting in the same urban space, offering a 25-year aesthetic archive. This archive imagines the Korean contemporary art scene as a dynamic space where individual artists emerge as catalysts for reform and change.

Jheon Soocheon

1947 - 2018
Artist of the Korean Pavilion at the 46th Venice Biennale, 1995

Jheon Soocheon was an artist who has devoted his life to exploring the depths of human interiority, history, and the roots of existence through a multifaceted presentation of diverse media. Driven by his boundless imagination, his works animate themes that transcend temporal and spatial limitations, delving into myths and the interplay of order and chaos governing the cosmos.

Invited to the inaugural exhibition at the Korean Pavilion during the 1995 Venice Biennale, Jheon transformed the entire exhibition hall into an immersive artwork, merging painting, clay, video, and lighting to offer a holistic artistic vision. His piece, T’ou Amongst Wandering Planets: Spirit of the Korean People (1995), was symbolically placed on a vast glass floor, surrounded by industrial remnants such as TV monitors, car engines, ventilation fans, and radio vacuum tubes, all gathered by the artist. Through T’ou, Jheon conveys the authentic and unembellished spirit of the Korean people, contrasting it with industrial debris to reflect on the spiritual disorientation and uncertainty confronting individuals in modern, industrial societies. This installation, encapsulating the dialectics of Eastern and Western civilizations, ideals versus reality, and certainties against uncertainties, aligned with the Biennale's themes of diversity and unity. It earned Jheon the distinction of being the first Korean artist honored with the Menzione d'Honore.

Kim Beom

b.1963
Artist of the Korean Pavilion at the 51st Venice Biennale, 2005

Kim Beom benefits from the support of the maison Hermès, as awarded artist of the 2nd Hermès Foundation Missulsang in 2001.

Kim Beom explores a world where the core of human perception is fundamentally challenged, through a wide spectrum of artistic endeavors including painting, drawing, sculpture, video, and artist's books. His visual language, characterized by profound humor and absurd propositions, humorously reveals how fragile and conceptual our system of perception and knowledge about real objects can be.

A significant theme in his work is the interaction between humans and objects or tools, highlighting how they merge as subjects. In Centaur and Minotaur (prototype version) (2020), Kim encapsulates the fierce tension between the desire of humans to dominate the wildness in a rodeo and the resistance of the animals involved, reflecting on the hierarchical dynamics between them. This clash of divergent instincts and souls within a unified state harks back to the narratives of centaurs or monsters common in ancient mythology, prompting reflections on the relationship between humans and tools, and between conquerors and the conquered, within the unfolding of civilization. Employing early photographic techniques, the video piece—a series of four photographs—adopts the cyanotype's blue and the Van Dyke print's brown hues.

Kimsooja

b.1957
Artist of the Korean Pavilion at the 53rd Venice Biennale, 2013

Kimsooja benefits from the support of the maison Hermès, in the framework of her participation in the solo exhibition presented at L’Atelier Hermès, in 2010.

Kimsooja delves into the themes of migration and settlement, life and death, as well as ontological contemplations and experiences straddling the material and immaterial, employing a variety of media such as site-specific works, installations, performances, video art, paintings, and objects. In her practice, the 'bottari'—initially an implicit object of life—emerges as a mode of engagement and a practice for relating to the world beyond territories and boundaries.

A Needle Woman - Jaoseon (2023) is the latest work in her A Needle Woman series, which she has been developing since 1999 and has taken her across the world. Derived from the concept of Jaoseon—the shortest vertical line connecting the Earth's poles, forming a circular path, this work mirrors the geopolitical nuances of Puerto Escondido, Mexico and captures the ephemeral moments when light morphs into geometric shapes within architectural confines, documenting the interplay of light's path and bodily form. At the exhibition's core, the monochrome Bottari - a couple (2020) sits understatedly—an object that threads through the artist’s life and philosophy and a work that opens a realm of new connections with the geological spacetime embraced by the Jaoseon in Mexico. With garments that belonged to the artist herself and her late husband enfolding the piece, it ensnares deeply personal and intimate recollections into a bottari. This act organically encompasses the discontinuous dimensions between self and other, absence and presence, life and death, and humanity and nature.

Within the horizontal order of the Palazzo Malta, the five photographs of performance, with the bottari placed at their center, generously interlace the realms of space and sky, light and shadow, intertwining the artist's journey of reflecting on life across countless boundaries.

Kiwon Park

b.1964
Artist of the Korean Pavilion at the 51st Venice Biennale, 2005

Kiwon Park creates site-specific installations, large-scale installations, public art, and paintings, rooted in his insights into the inherent characteristics of spaces and materials. His work is characterized by minimal physical intervention in the structure and surface of spaces, weaving experiences between space and body, thereby broadening the field of perception towards the world.

Dialogue (2022) presents an assembly of metal plates in the shapes of coins (copper, brass, zinc-plated, nickel-plated, and stainless steel), installed to resemble a scattering of virtual leaves. This piece, first showcased at the Seoul Botanic Park in 2022 as a large floor installation, drew inspiration from the experience of walking over fallen leaves. The interaction of varied metallic textures and the resultant sounds from the spectators' movements redefines the interplay between space and the human form, offering a multitude of synesthetic experiences mediated by nature beyond the architectural order. Honoring the distinct sense of place at the Palazzo Malta, the metal plates spread across the ground shift the fixed essence of architecture to a fluid and permeable structure, unveiling the possibilities of alternative imagination and practices of art that cross the norms of space.

Kwak Hoon

b.1941
Artist of the Korean Pavilion at the 46th Venice Biennale, 1995

Kwak Hoon's work deeply engages with Buddhist thought and Eastern philosophy, utilizing traditional Korean materials such as clay, earthenware, and pine trees. His oeuvre, which encompasses expressionist paintings and experimental installations, encapsulates notions like "Qi" and "Kalpa," inviting viewers into poetic meditation. His recent Halaayt series, inspired by whale bones encountered in Alaska and the Bangudae Petroglyphs in Ulsan, demonstrates Kwak's vigorous and unrestrained brushwork.

At the 1995 Venice Biennale Korean Pavilion, Kwak presented Kalpa/Sound; What Marco Polo Left Behind (1995). This installation featured dozens of earthenware pots, crafted in Icheon and strung across pine poles to echo a tungso (a traditional Korean flute), weaving a visual and auditory connection to Korean heritage. The performance, involving 20 Buddhist nuns carrying and then installing the pots outside the Korean Pavilion, merged ritualistic elements with the essence of Korean traditional music. Enhanced by renowned daegeum musician Kim Young Dong, the performance allowed the daegeum's melodies to resonate through the air and the interconnected bamboo, spreading the sound of Korea throughout Venice. Reinstalled in the Ordine di Malta's garden for this exhibition, the work showcases the enduring experimental spirit and daring nature of Korean art from three decades ago to the present.

Lee Wan

b. 1979
Artist of the Korean Pavilion at the 57th Venice Biennale, 2017

Lee Wan, known for his performative exploration of the impacts of globalization, capitalism, politics, history, and culture on individual lives, is a multimedia artist whose expansive practice synthesizes sculpture, installation, performance, documentary filmmaking, and more recently, AI technology. His current work focuses on the coevolutionary relationship between the emerging world of generative AI and the life world of humans.

KonneXus, “a nexus of us in connection,” is a future-facing, open archival introduction of the exhibition as a whole, where the last thirty years of the Korean Pavilion meet its next three decades through myriads of relevant data assembled and reanimated with the help of AI technology as part of “us.” Composed in close collaboration with Professor Kyoo Lee — a philosopher, poet, and critic at the City University of New York — this piece shows how a cartography of inscriptive remembrance emerges through concurrent acts of archival re-membering, generating along the way a sense of Cohabitus: archipelagic planetary communities. Through a series of dialogues, two Lees arrived at the concept of this work, the porous topology of “we,” “us in/outside us (Woori, we/cage),” and thus KonneXus, born from that conversation, remains “connectively” (Itda) “present” (Itda) to its own otherness. Appearing as AI characters with an AI docent hired for the project, which adds a subtle shock of déjà vu from the early days of the industrial revolution where humans feared being replaced by machines, the artist and the philosopher continue to chat about “us” in/outside the Korean Pavilion, contemporary Korean art, the Venice Biennale, the global art scene, etc., and the video concludes open-endedly.

Go to this link to watch KonneXus:
https://youtu.be/WsGnfrnfHlI

Lee Yongbaek

b. 1966
Artist of the Korean Pavilion at the 54th Venice Biennale, 2011

Lee Yongbaek traverses multiple genres, including painting, performance, media, and installation, to critically address socio-political issues. His current focus delves into the emerging anxieties stemming from societal dependency on technology.

This exhibition features his three video pieces: NFT Museum: The Thinker (2022), NFT Museum: The Venus (2022), and NFT Museum: The Pieta (2022). The artist overlays iconic works such as Rodin's The Thinker and Michelangelo's Pieta with a massive blue screen, showcasing their fleeting disappearance. The blue screen, typically appearing when a computer encounters a fatal error, represents not the universal fears of the physical world but the fears of a new paradigm experienced by the artist—such as communication breakdowns, barriers to entering the metaverse, and the loss of personal histories. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, humanity has faced the abrupt halting of societal structures, compounded by the terror of war, escalating environmental issues, and tense global political climates, placing us in a highly challenging situation. The blue screen appearing on computer monitors acts as a cautionary message to humanity.

Michael Joo

b. 1966
Artist of the Korean Pavilion at the 49th Venice Biennale, 2001

Michael Joo transcends traditional boundaries between science and humanities, humankind and nature, often working at their borders, edges and frontiers. Liminus (2017) are a series of paintings created during Joo’s visits to the remote and largely untouched islands of Dokdo, ancient volcanic cinder cones at the far eastern edge of the Korean Peninsula. Here, he took unique epoxy impressions on canvases affixed to the islands’ few horizontal surfaces in a 72-hour long process involving exposure to Dokdo’s tempestuously shifting natural elements, wind swept landscapes and even migrating songbirds. The dramatic yet delicately textured resulting surfaces were then visually amplified with silver in a process derived from photographic printing techniques. The blown glass vessels of the Single Breath Transfer series works (2017-24) capture the passing of a human breath between Joo and a glass-blower using plastic and paper bags, which disintegrate in their perfectly captured transformation to glass. These works evoke the interplay between physical matter, the human body, and consciousness; sculptural records of human transmission both fragile and in constant flux. The transparent supporting walls of the Liminus paintings pay direct homage to Italian-Brazilian architect Lina Bo Bardi (1914-1992) and her open display structures, fostering a dialogue between the temporal and spatial dimensions of the frescoed exhibition space and further evoking the urgency of bridging that which divides us.

Moon Kyungwon & Jeon Joonho

b.1969 (Moon Kyungwon), b.1969 (Jeon Joonho)
Artists of the Korean Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale, 2015

Moon Kyungwon and Jeon Joonho have been working as a duo since 2009, exploring the social function and role of art based on reflections on the crises facing our rapidly changing world. Their notable project, News from Nowhere (2012-), is a long-term initiative grounded in multidisciplinary research, investigation, and collaboration, serving as a platform for exchange and communication in response to the future.

News from Nowhere: Eclipse (2022) captures the struggle of a person striving to survive at sea aboard a lifeboat. Amidst turbulent waves and perilous waters, the shipwrecked protagonist's only reliances are a sealable lifeboat and a radio frequency devoid of signals. Despite escalating dangers and despair, the protagonist's unwavering hope embodies the human spirit's capacity to navigate through a grim future amidst the blurring lines between reality and fiction, the tangible and the virtual. The protagonist's predicament, amplified through synchronized video and lighting effects, serves as a critical signal that cuts across the boundaries of art and reality, highlighting the urgency of our present and future, and facilitating a tactile mediation between the artwork and the physical space. This work, featuring a compelling performance by actor Ryu Jun-yeol, debuted at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa in 2022 and has been exhibited at Art Basel's Unlimited section and Noor Riyadh in 2023.

Nakhee Sung

b. 1971
Artist of the Korean Pavilion at the 51st Venice Biennale, 2005

Nakhee Sung, utilizing acrylic paintings and murals as her primary mediums, creates works that embody both spontaneity and intuition in line, form, and the selection of colors. She maintains a sense of freedom while also adopting a systematic and compositional approach to abstraction. Her latest works are constructive paintings that vividly display fluid yet distinct transitions between color fields, employing central tones, their variations, and complementary colors to enhance the composition within a single canvas.

Cozy Cardio (2023), a mural, encapsulates the musical rhythm inherent in Sung's works with undulating lines, surfaces, and the conspicuous use of contrasting colors like yellow and purple, achieved through repetitive color application. The title, Cozy Cardio, originated from aerobic exercises popularized on social networks like TikTok, intended to be performed in a comfortable state. However, the work's title is chosen more for its resonance with the artist’s sensations during creation than for its commonly understood context. The use of abstract forms and a variety of materials, including gouache, colored pencils, and oil pastels, applied in gradients and sprays on paper, unveils a complex and distinctive texture. This texture richly expresses an inner rhythm that words cannot articulate.

Nakyoung Sung

b. 1976
Artist of the Korean Pavilion at the 51st Venice Biennale, 2005

Nakyoung Sung, working under the alias Nakion, creates music and art influenced by subculture. Her creations examine and mirror the situations and emotions she encounters with a lighthearted yet profound approach. They engage viewers in the mental chaos and confusion prevalent in both the digital and physical worlds.

Raving (2024) features a music mix by Sung and a poster series that explore the paradoxical themes of connection and isolation, attempting to link online culture with the mundane reality of the physical world. Influenced by various subcultures and social media, Raving feels akin to a mood board created randomly in the preparatory phase of a project. As such, Sung's rapid creative process mimics the transient nature of the internet, laden with excessive elements. The poster images resemble enlarged memes or indiscernible fashion advertisements. Small pictures, downloaded from the internet, surround the seemingly clichéd yet lonely figures, thereby evoking a somber and apathetic mood. The music, with its distinctive humor, amplifies this sense of void, shifting both aggressively and swiftly.

Noh Sang-Kyoon

b. 1958
Artist of the Korean Pavilion at the 48th Venice Biennale, 1999

Noh Sang-Kyoon is recognized for his innovative use of plastic sequins, applying them to flat canvases or attaching them onto figures such as Buddha statues, Christ statues, and mannequins. Sequins, a material commonly used for decorating clothes and bags, imbue his works with vibrant colors and a sense of dimensionality that changes with the light's angle and the viewers' perspectives. Noh continues to explore the repetitive and cyclical nature of light and energy, as well as the aspects of temporality. This exploration is through the use of photoluminescent pigments, which absorb light from the sun or artificial sources and later emit light in darkness.

In this exhibition, he presents For the Worshippers (2014-2016), one of his signature works imbued with deep reflection and enlightenment. The piece involves meticulously attaching black sequins to a religious symbol, specifically a Buddha statue, by covering the eyes and ears and encircling the upper body with ropes made of black sequins as if to bind it. Despite the apparent restraint, the seated Buddha, enshrined within the sequins, remains serene, seemingly untouched by any external turmoil or change. Through this piece, Noh challenges the monumental function and meaning traditionally held by sculpture, offering audiences an opportunity to contemplate beyond the boundaries of the holy and the secular.

Park Sejin

b. 1977
Artist of the Korean Pavilion at the 51st Venice Biennale, 2005

Park Sejin showcases the ever-changing temporality of painting through his landscapes. His work prompts viewers, who often attempt to capture mere moments, to question the true representation of the depicted landscapes. For Park, the nightscapes evoke a world of boundless imagination and do not possess a single, definitive color.

The piece showcased in this exhibition, Landscape 1993-2002 (1993-2002), was previously exhibited at the Korean Pavilion during the 2005 Venice Biennale. It was created by revisiting and repainting in 2002 a horizon that the artist first observed in 1993 from the Demilitarized Zone, the boundary's edge. This work underscored the artist's belief in the power of painting to envision places beyond the visible horizon, thus shaping the core elements of his depicted landscapes. Daybreak (2006) and Park at Night (2016), which depict moments shrouded in darkness, are positioned near a window facing the Venetian canals. These pieces interact dynamically with the ambient light, offering viewers varied appearances based on the light's conditions. Park at Night (2016) invites viewers to discover the intricacies of brushwork and the depth of long nights experienced by the artist, layered upon the canvas. Through these light-responsive works, Park engages viewers to reflect on the essence of night's color.

siren eun young jung

b. 1974
Artist of the Korean Pavilion at the 58th Venice Biennale, 2019

eun young jung benefits from the support of the maison Hermès, as awarded artist of the 14th Hermès Foundation Missulsang in 2013.

Since 2008, siren eun young jung has been investigating 'Yeoseong Gukgeuk,' a form of performance art that gained popularity in the 1950s and 1960s following Korea's liberation. Her Yeoseong Gukgeuk project, emerging from this inquiry, is expressed through diverse artistic mediums such as video, installation, performance, and theater. It maintains a trajectory of exploration and experimentation that transcends boundaries, incorporating feminist and queer perspectives.

Dust (2023) and Deferral Archive (a part) (2023) offer emotional solidarity with and tribute to the Yeoseong Gukgeuk actors, central to the project since its inception, and to the previously absent archives unearthed during the research. The video Dust disperses actor Cho Young Sook's personal archives among drifting particles, creating a dialogue that traces memories alongside the artist. The installation Deferral Archive (a part) features 16 embroidered banners capturing the names, birth years, and inspirational quotes in the handwriting of nearly forgotten Yeoseong Gukgeuk actors, complemented by archival photos. The artist documents the diminishing prominence of these actors—pivotal witnesses to Yeoseong Gukgeuk's history—and creates an unconventional archive by rendering their experiences into visual language. This method of reanimating archives burdened with dust embodies the artist's critique of biased historical records, underscoring an act of resistance beyond the importance of mere preservation and continuation.

Sora Kim

b.1965
Artist of the Korean Pavilion at the 51st Venice Biennale, 2005

Sora Kim benefits from the support of the maison Hermès, as nominated artist of the 6th Hermès Foundation Missulsang in 2005.

A SORA KIM PROJECT 2023-2024
Produced by apparat/us with Jinyoung Shin (Producer), Jiheon Lee (Graphic Designer), Re-look (Web), Jang Younggyu (Sound editor), and contributors (Yeogiyo, Siwon Kim, last, Kyung-ho Sohn, Dubai, Yeonheedong, BAM, BOHEME, secret, Subin Cho, Unknown, Hoo!, one, Changu, SON, J, 91, 7 and many other anonymous contributors)

Sora Kim's works, reminiscent of maps charting ephemeral movements, languages, and illusions, reveal the hidden potentials of the world and their inherent, intangible mass. Originating from ambiguous hints and extended to a variety of collaborators, her creations briefly coalesce into expressive forms beyond words—encompassing sound, installations, and performances—before swiftly fading away.

Sora Kim has a keen interest in transforming the exhibition experience into something akin to air, enabling visitors to feel the subtle vibrations, blurs, and flows that are elusive in visual language. an icy chill of a frozen fart (2023-2024) is conceived with the architectural space of the Ordine di Malta in mind, especially focusing on peripheral spaces like corridors left on the fringe of the exhibition experience. Various sound fragments, collected from participants following the artist's directions, resonate and merge from two speakers installed on the corridor ceiling, creating a dynamic auditory experience. Encountered randomly by visitors as they traverse the corridor, this work embodies a motion and rhythm that quickly coalesce into "phrases, songs, shouts, and cough-like clusters" before dispersing again. The murmurs of these unfamiliar strangers initiate a new phase of world recognition as they intersect with the bodies and sounds navigating the passageway.

Sungsic Moon

b. 1980
Artist of the Korean Pavilion at the 51st Venice Biennale, 2005

Sungsic Moon captures all tangible and intangible sensations found in life, translating them onto the canvas using a variety of materials. The life depicted in Moon's works transcends mere observation and reproduction. The fragments of life, filtered and refracted through the artist's gaze, evoke various meanings and interpretations. With his sensitive and lyrical sensibility, Moon paints scenes of nature and life, and his distinctive technique seeks to solidify Korean aesthetics into painting through his unique lines and strokes.

Each piece by Moon, glowing in the dimmed exhibition space, reminds viewers of stars twinkling in the night sky. His 19 recent works, filling the walls, encapsulate both nature and human life. The new surface treatment utilizing foil inlay techniques, introduced in this exhibition, opens up a beautifully strange pictorial experience, as if everyday scenes are preserved. The spontaneous lines drawn on the reflective surface of the foil reflect traditional Korean painting techniques, rooted in Moon's aesthetic tendencies. His works evoke the depth of mother-of-pearl inlays or the composition of Korean paintings, presenting a multidimensional sense of déjà vu. By showcasing the world's beautiful and strange moments in a unique materialization, his work proposes new repertoires and possibilities within Korean painting.

Yeondoo Jung

b. 1969
Artist of the Korean Pavilion at the 51th Venice Biennale, 2005

Yeondoo Jung benefits from the support of the maison Hermès, as nominated artist of the 5th Hermès Foundation Missulsang in 2004.

Yeondoo Jung, known for his multidisciplinary work that spans visual arts, performance, theater, and cinema, frequently connects themes across diverse cultural landscapes. His work often links different temporal and spatial figures, blending documentary with fiction, and the individual with society, and maintains a paradoxical stance that re-examines reality through the languages of poetry, music, and drama. His practice, marked by long-term local research and interviews with those who have experienced historical events, showcases an art practice characterized by relationality and performativity.

Evergreen Tower, both the title of his piece and the name of an apartment complex in Gwangjang-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, explores the anonymity of urban living. Despite residing in identical concrete buildings with similar living rooms and bedrooms, we remain unfamiliar with our neighbors. Jung captured this narrative by offering to take family photos for free, using flyers. The spaces might appear mundane and routine, but through his work, they reveal the individuality of family members and their diverse experiences and stories. Beyond merely capturing superficial appearances, his work delves into a deeper investigation of personal human lives and their inner worlds.

Yun Hyong-keun

1928 - 2007
Artist of the Korean Pavilion at the 46th Venice Biennale, 1995

In his note included in the catalogue for his participation in the inaugural Korean Pavilion exhibition at the Venice Biennale in 1995, Yun Hyong-keun stated that he always contemplates whether his work could embody the same world as nature, which is "always simple, fresh, and beautiful." He aimed to capture the essence and everlasting beauty of nature in his artwork, which never ceases to amaze.

Contrasting his early, color-rich works, Untitled (1981), exhibited in this exhibition, delves into the painful history of modern and contemporary Korea through dark hues. A vast stroke of enigmatic black, blended with ultramarine blue for the sky and burnt umber for the earth, bisects the canvas. This delivers a calm yet profound resonance to the viewers.

Yunchul Kim

b.1970
Artist of the Korean Pavilion at the 59th Venice Biennale, 2022

Yunchul Kim is an artist and electroacoustic music composer active internationally today. The artist, who has asked fundamental questions about “material” since studying abroad in Germany, has shown the possibilities of imagination and the creation of another reality that goes beyond the realm of human experience, paying attention to its potential tendencies. Yunchul Kim’s body of work embodies the material world imagined by the artist and is a story of a dimension before humans formed cultures or were defined by language. His works, in which humans, non-humans, machines, materials, and substances are considered equal, exist as a “non-human agency” and “initiating agent,” as the subject of imperceptible events.

If a tree stretches its branches towards the sky in defiance of gravity over time, Strata(2024) reveals the boundaries of matter, stratified by gravity into deep chasms of time as the tree decomposes into molecular structures. In his works, including Chroma V(2022) and Dust of the Suns(2022), presented at the Korean Pavilion at the Biennale Arte 2022, the artist has been exploring the depth and texture of colour, and patterns of light through the materials such as synthetic polymers, minerals from deep underground, and seaweed from the ocean that are revealed through the structural colours of materials.

Through the chirality of the molecules of cellulose extracted from trees, Strata maintains a state of semi-solidity, an intermediate state between solid and liquid, revealing the boundaries of light, time and stratified matter through temperature, humidity and refraction of light. Like deep time in geology, the materials are stratified and sealed by gravity into their own deep time, but are still open to light and heat, transforming into colourful manifestations of light as the day and seasons pass. Through events that take place in the depths of the air, the deep ocean, or the cut of a broken mineral, the spectator will experience a depth of colour that transmattering not the colour of the surface, but the reality of a laminated materiality into the work.