
How light is revealed: James Turrell, Salvo visit Seoul
At Pace Gallery, Turrell reveals light itself through space; at Gladstone, Salvo captures it in paintings inspired by his travels
American light master James Turrell is familiar to Korean audiences through his monumental installations at Museum San in Wonju, Gangwon Province, where five of his works, created solely with light and space, offer a meditative experience.
The exhibition 'The Return,' at Pace Gallery in Hannam-dong, central Seoul, shows Turrell's five recent installations, including the never-before-seen piece 'Wedgework,' made specifically for the Seoul exhibition. Turrell's exhibition, which runs through Sept. 27, is his first solo show in Seoul since 2008.
'I really wanted people to treasure light. I had hoped to try to use light itself rather than the depiction of it. We are creatures that very much respond to light, and for me, that is where the power of light resides,' Turrell told reporters Wednesday.
Spanning three floors of the gallery, the exhibition features a selection of photographs and works on paper that shed light on the artist's process for his installations. Working with the materiality of light and space, Turrell is a key member of the California Light and Space Movement initiated in the 1960s.
'In the end, I am an artist and I want to pass to you a piece of light. I would like to give you this experience of light itself. Not every piece is as successful as another piece. This is how life is … I have to tell you that art has always dealt with things beyond how we normally think of something," Turrell said.
Arne Glimcher, Pace's founder and chairman, first met Turrell some 60 years ago, and the gallery has represented the artist since 2002. An online reservation is required to visit the exhibition as the gallery admits only 20 people to each session to prevent congestion.
Another exhibition featuring light effects unfolds at Gladstone Gallery in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul. Italian artist Salvo enjoyed using light effects in his works, some of which evoke sunsets or sunrises, as in the paintings 'Tre Colonne' and 'Forte dei Marmi.'
At Gladstone, the exhibition 'Salvo, in Viaggio (Salvo Traveling)' is the Italian master's first solo show in the country.
'It is the first show of his to discuss the theme of a 'journey.' There are many works displayed to the public for the first time as well. I hope many who visit the show can enjoy their time traveling into the unique world of Salvo,' said Norma Mangione, co-founder of Archivio Salvo, at the press opening on May 29.
The exhibition spans from 1988 to 2015, the year the artist died. The paintings depict both real and imagined landscapes inspired by the artist's travels across the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and Asia, featuring Salvo's visual aesthetic, characterized by expressive landscapes in vivid color.
Beginning with his first trip to Afghanistan in the summer of 1969, Salvo's frequent journeys became a recurring source of inspiration. His paintings depict scenes from areas he lived in or visited, incorporating regional architectural motifs and native plant species, according to the gallery.
The exhibition runs through July 12.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Korea Herald
3 hours ago
- Korea Herald
S. Korea reviews safety measures for nationals in Middle East after Israeli strike on Iran
South Korea's foreign ministry held a virtual meeting Sunday with its officials and heads of diplomatic missions in the Middle East to discuss response measures following Israel's strike on Iran. The video conference, presided over by Yoon Chu-sok, director general for overseas Koreans and consular affairs, focused on reviewing ways to ensure the safety of South Korean nationals in the region, the foreign ministry said. During the meeting, Yoon reiterated the importance of advising South Korean citizens to cancel or postpone travel to both Israel and Iran. He also emphasized the need to urge Korean nationals residing in those countries to remain in safe areas in accordance with guidance from local embassies. The foreign ministry confirmed that no damage or harm to South Korean nationals has been reported in relation to the Israeli strike. Approximately 100 South Koreans are currently staying in Iran. On Friday, the government raised the travel advisories for Israel and parts of Iran from Level 2 to Level 2.5, citing heightened security concerns.


Korea Herald
8 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Korea's extra holidays fuel travel abroad, not local economy: National Assembly report
A recent National Assembly Research Service indicated that temporary public holidays are not boosting domestic spending; instead, they are resulting in increased overseas travel. Released Thursday, the report examined the impact of this year's extended Seollal New Year holiday in January, when the government added a temporary holiday on the 27th. That move created a six-day break, intended to encourage local consumption. Instead of spending more at home, nearly 3 million South Koreans went abroad, marking the highest monthly figure for outbound travel on record. According to NARS, the number of Korean overseas tourists in January rose 9.5 percent from December and 7.3 percent year-on-year. Credit card data showed a brief bump in domestic tourism-related spending on Jan. 27, with major issuers BC Card and Shinhan Card reporting a 60 percent jump in spending compared to the previous Monday. But overall domestic tourism spending in January fell by 7.4 percent from December and 1.8 percent year-on-year, according to the report. Export and production indicators also declined. Exports in January dropped 10.2 percent from the same month in 2024, while industrial output fell 1.6 percent month-on-month and 3.8 percent from the year before. Although these results stem from multiple economic factors, NARS noted that the reduced number of working days during the extended holiday likely contributed to the slowdown. These concerns are resurfacing now as public attention turns to the upcoming October holiday stretch. With national holidays already scheduled from Oct. 3-9, many are speculating whether the government will declare Friday, Oct. 10 a temporary public holiday, effectively creating a 10-day break. The Lee Jae-myung administration has not expressed any official position. The NARS report cast doubts on extended holidays leading to an increase in domestic spending, particularly as international travel becomes more accessible. Beyond the economic issue, the report raised the issue of the public not benefiting equally from temporary holidays. Providing sufficient rest periods for the public is another key reason for temporary holidays, as Korean workers logged 1,872 hours on average, which is about 130 hours more than the OECD average. But businesses with fewer than five workers are not subject to the legal clause that provides the basis for the temporary holidays, specifically Article 55 of the Labor Standards Act. This means an estimated 10 million workers nationwide employed at such businesses could be excluded from the benefits. The same clause mandates a substitute off-day for holidays that overlap with weekends or other public holidays, which is also not applied to the aforementioned smaller businesses. The NARS report recommended moving away from one-off holidays and toward broader reforms. Expanding substitute holiday coverage and shifting fixed-date holidays to weekday observance, as seen in countries like the US, could ensure more predictable and equitable rest for all workers. 'Rest should be a universal right,' the report said, 'not a privilege granted occasionally or unequally.'


Korea Herald
10 hours ago
- Korea Herald
How light is revealed: James Turrell, Salvo visit Seoul
At Pace Gallery, Turrell reveals light itself through space; at Gladstone, Salvo captures it in paintings inspired by his travels American light master James Turrell is familiar to Korean audiences through his monumental installations at Museum San in Wonju, Gangwon Province, where five of his works, created solely with light and space, offer a meditative experience. The exhibition 'The Return,' at Pace Gallery in Hannam-dong, central Seoul, shows Turrell's five recent installations, including the never-before-seen piece 'Wedgework,' made specifically for the Seoul exhibition. Turrell's exhibition, which runs through Sept. 27, is his first solo show in Seoul since 2008. 'I really wanted people to treasure light. I had hoped to try to use light itself rather than the depiction of it. We are creatures that very much respond to light, and for me, that is where the power of light resides,' Turrell told reporters Wednesday. Spanning three floors of the gallery, the exhibition features a selection of photographs and works on paper that shed light on the artist's process for his installations. Working with the materiality of light and space, Turrell is a key member of the California Light and Space Movement initiated in the 1960s. 'In the end, I am an artist and I want to pass to you a piece of light. I would like to give you this experience of light itself. Not every piece is as successful as another piece. This is how life is … I have to tell you that art has always dealt with things beyond how we normally think of something," Turrell said. Arne Glimcher, Pace's founder and chairman, first met Turrell some 60 years ago, and the gallery has represented the artist since 2002. An online reservation is required to visit the exhibition as the gallery admits only 20 people to each session to prevent congestion. Another exhibition featuring light effects unfolds at Gladstone Gallery in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul. Italian artist Salvo enjoyed using light effects in his works, some of which evoke sunsets or sunrises, as in the paintings 'Tre Colonne' and 'Forte dei Marmi.' At Gladstone, the exhibition 'Salvo, in Viaggio (Salvo Traveling)' is the Italian master's first solo show in the country. 'It is the first show of his to discuss the theme of a 'journey.' There are many works displayed to the public for the first time as well. I hope many who visit the show can enjoy their time traveling into the unique world of Salvo,' said Norma Mangione, co-founder of Archivio Salvo, at the press opening on May 29. The exhibition spans from 1988 to 2015, the year the artist died. The paintings depict both real and imagined landscapes inspired by the artist's travels across the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and Asia, featuring Salvo's visual aesthetic, characterized by expressive landscapes in vivid color. Beginning with his first trip to Afghanistan in the summer of 1969, Salvo's frequent journeys became a recurring source of inspiration. His paintings depict scenes from areas he lived in or visited, incorporating regional architectural motifs and native plant species, according to the gallery. The exhibition runs through July 12.