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Korea Herald
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Koo Jeong-a illuminates the invisible
A overview of Koo's recent work runs through Jan. 4 at LUMA Arles in southern France ARLES, France — At first, 'Seven Stars,' an installation of 10 paintings by Koo Jeong-a, also known as Koo Jeong A, on view at LUMA Arles in southern France, appears to be a set of abstract paintings. But in a single moment, the space turns into a cosmic world with stars appearing to glow in the dark — like the stars in the sky that are invisible in daylight, but always present. Only 10 people at a time are allowed into the maze-like space at Koo's new solo exhibition. When the light fades out, people freeze — unsure of what is to unfold. Then they soon fall into a meditative state, gazing at the glowing stars before them. When the light comes back on, visitors move again, like players in a game of freeze tag. 'It is a very different cognitive and sensory experience shifting between light and dark — you feel like you are in different worlds,' said Eimear Martin, independent curator at LUMA Arles. 'The silent partner in this work is light. They (paintings) gather energy in light to re-emit.' The 10 paintings from the series were first shown to the public in 2020 at PKM Gallery in Seoul. The works have evolved at LUMA Arles as the curatorial team and the artist incorporated architectural elements — a curtain has been installed behind the works that are concave or convex in shape, like the harmony of yin and yang. 'It is about creating a new space for the work. If the work travels elsewhere, the experience from here remains and that leads to something different. I think that is how the work continues to evolve,' Koo said during an interview with The Korea Herald on July 5 at Drum Cafe at LUMA Arles. Koo — who describes herself as 'living and working everywhere' — incorporates intangible elements or unseen forces, such as light, gravity, magnetic fields and scent into her works in a poetic way. 'Because I move around a lot, I just take my body and my mind — I have spent 30 to 40 years making work, letting it go and moving on, which has been years and years of practice,' Koo said. Scent knows no boundaries — the levitating figure 'Kangse SpSt,' shown at the Venice Biennale's Korean Pavilion in 2024, gives off a scent of the combined olfactory memories of people from the two Koreas — countries split by a single line. The figure, leaping upward as if defying gravity, welcomes visitors at the entrance to the arts center's signature building, The Tower. The East Gallery at The Tower — infused with fluorescent pink, again taking people to an unusual different space — shows Koo's 222 whimsical drawings, created on a regular basis, that offer a glimpse into the artist's mind. Some drawings show moments like eating noodles alone, lying in a bed lost in thought and scrubbing a body with a scrub glove, a common scene at public bathhouses in Korea. "When I draw, I go into a room. But if things don't progress in that room, I take a few sheets of paper — enough for maybe three days — and head somewhere else,' she said. 'When there's no creative energy, no momentum, there's nothing you can do. In those moments, I have to change the air somehow.' Some of Koo's works are quirky with a sense of subtle humor and playfulness — something that can also be felt in the way she speaks. For instance, a snowman pierced with 14 acupuncture needles, shown alongside the drawing series, humorously evokes the absurd. 'The snow mass is in the shape of the figure 'eight,' but also in the shape of the symbol of infinity. All these numbers (in Koo's art) have a very particular private significance,' Martin said. The snow mass was created during a residency at the Aspen Art Museum in Colorado in 2007, according to LUMA Arles. During the interview, Koo's 'OooOoO,' painted with fluorescent pigment that illuminates the structure at night, at the public terrace could be seen from the Drum cafe in the building. The skate park is a permanent installation at LUMA Arles, offering people free access. Koo's glowing skate park was first shown in 2012, titled 'Otro,' as part of a landscape project at Vassiviere Island in France. The project aimed to revitalize the area for communal use, she said. 'It (creating art) is how I exist in the world. it is a way of living for me,' she said. 'It is a means of how I communicate with people.' The looping, continuous forms of wooden sculptures, reminiscent of Mobius strips, invite people to sit on them, perhaps to take a break between works at the exhibition. On the surface of the fluid architecture designed by Frank Gehry, are Koo's site-specific rock sculptures '[Ever] [Vast],' created in 2025 inspired by the soaring rock clusters found in the nearby Alpilles Mountains. Next year, Koo will have a solo exhibition at Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul, where the artist hinted that the exhibition will be shown in a way that has not been presented before. An artist with over 30 years of career, Koo candidly said her practice was shaped by continuous trial and error. 'As an artist, you have to be tough. A maestro? An artist is nothing like that," Koo said. 'The failures are many, but it is those small successes that give you the strength to keep failing. "When I was younger, even the smallest mistakes would scare me — but the difference now is that I know that I will have to take those risks and jump anyway. When you're trained, you don't become fearless, but you learn how to move through fear," she said. Marking the largest presentation of Koo's works in France to date, the exhibition 'Koo Jeong A: Land of Ousss [Kangse]' at LUMA Arles brings together the artist's works dating back from 2007 to the present. The exhibition opened on July 5 and runs through Jan. 4, 2026.
Tatler Asia
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Tatler Asia
5 Asian pavilions telling stories of resilience and culture at the Venice Biennale of Architecture 2025
Hong Kong Pavilion Above 'Projecting Future Heritage: A Hong Kong Archive' (Photo: courtesy of Oliver Yin Law) Where: The Arsenale, Venice What: The Hong Kong Pavilion presents Projecting Future Heritage: A Hong Kong Archive , curated by Ar Fai Au, the founder of O Studio Architects; Dr Ying Zhou, an urban theorist; and Ar Sing Yeung Sunnie Lau, the founder of SOS Architecture Urban Design Studio. The team spotlights the sunset industry of traditional bamboo scaffolding and the oft-overlooked side of the cityscape, beyond its gleaming, swanky skyscrapers. The pavilion showcases the innovative measures that Hong Kong architects have to take to make the best use of space in Hong Kong's notoriously cramped urban landscape. Korean Pavilion Above 'Little Toad, Little Toad: Unbuilding Pavilion' (Photo: courtesy of Korean Pavilion) Where: The Giardini, Venice What: South Korea is commemorating its pavilion's 30th anniversary this year at the Venice Biennale. The space was designed by Italian architect Franco Mancuso and Korean architect Kim Seok-chul, who originally built the pavilion within a cluster of trees to emphasise its connection with nature. Now, it has been reimagined by artists Kim Hyunjong, Heechan Park, Young Yena and Lee Dammy, who have put up site-responsive installations in an exhibition titled the Little Toad, Little Toad: Unbuilding Pavilion . For instance, Kim's New Voyage , which is installed on the rooftop of the pavilion, turns the space of leisure into an open observatory oriented toward the Adriatic Sea. This installation suggests a new perspective on the use of the pavilion's space and the metaphor for a new adventure. Taiwan Pavilion Above 'Non-Belief: Taiwan Intelligens of Precarity' (Photo: courtesy of H2O Studio) Where: Palazzo delle Prigioni What: Non-Belief: Taiwan Intelligens of Precarity reflects on the conditions of uncertainty, such as unpredictable natural disasters, geopolitical tensions and the threats of globalisation, which make up the sociopolitical fabric of Taiwan. In the showcase, the artists and the architects highlight sustainable and efficient designs inspired by the region's resilient building culture. For instance, the installation Border Elasticity focuses on the use of futuristic materials such as transparent acrylic sticks for constructing the Tainan Railway Underground. The structure also resembles incense sticks to serve as a metaphor for how people need to navigate crowded urban spaces. Uzbekistan Pavilion Above 'A Matter of Radiance' (Photo: courtesy of Gerda Studio and the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation) Where: The Arsenale, Venice What: Curated by Ekaterina Golovatyuk and Giacomo Cantoni of Grace studio, A Matter of Radiance takes inspiration from the modernist scientific structure, The Sun Institute of Material Science, originally called the Sun Heliocomplex, built in 1987 near Tashkent, which was one of the last major scientific projects of the USSR. The pavilion explores the scientific and cultural relevance of Uzbekistan's recent modernist legacy and its potential.
Korea Herald
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Arts Council Korea to Host ARKO Global Week Presenting A Global Vision: Connecting Korean Arts with the World
SEOUL, South Korea, May 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Arts Council Korea (ARKO) is hosting "ARKO Global Week," from May 24 until May 30, 2025, featuring a series of major international programs and events that reinforce Korea's role as a global cultural hub. The week includes the 10th World Summit on Arts and Culture, which brings together global leaders from the arts and culture sectors, and APE CAMP, a collaborative platform fostering innovation between emerging artists and technology developers worldwide. Through these efforts, ARKO seeks to position Korea as a key player in international cultural exchange and to open a new chapter in its global engagement strategy. ARKO Announces Global Vision and New International Strategies At a press briefing on May 14 at the ARKO Art Center in Daehak-ro, Seoul, Chairman Byoung Gug Choung unveiled ARKO's new global vision, themed "Connecting Korean Arts with the World." He also outlined a suite of strategic initiatives aimed at deepening international collaboration and creative development, including: 10th World Summit on Arts and Culture to Convene in Daehak-ro The 10th World Summit on Arts and Culture, co-hosted by ARKO and the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA), will be held May 27–30 in Daehak-ro. The event is expected to bring together over 400 professionals from more than 80 countries, including 105 speakers representing 62 nations, comprising policymakers, cultural leaders, scholars, artists, and government officials. Under the theme "Charting the Future of Arts and Culture," the summit will tackle global challenges such as AI and digital transformation, climate change, and community resilience, focusing on how the arts can respond to and shape these evolving realities. APE CAMP: A Global Crossroads for Artists and Tech Innovators Launched in 2022, APE CAMP is now in its fourth year as APE CAMP is ARKO's signature international platform for interdisciplinary collaboration. This year's edition attracted over 200 applicants from 67 countries, demonstrating growing global interest. The program includes: The 2025 edition will gather 100 participants from 22 countries, mentored by leading institutions including ZKM (Germany) and SAT (Canada). Participants will engage in hands-on creative experiments that blend artistic vision with emerging technologies. Commemorating 30 Years of the Korean Pavilion at the Venice Biennale To mark the 30th anniversary of the Korean Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, ARKO is presenting the architecture exhibition "Little Toad, Little Toad: Unbuilding Pavilion", on view from May 10 to November 23 at the Giardini in Venice. The exhibition reflects on the past, present, and future of the Korean Pavilion, with a particular focus on sustainability in the architecture of national pavilions. On May 9, ARKO hosted a dedicated architecture forum, "Vision and Legacy: 30 Years of the Korean Pavilion," featuring key figures such as Franco Mancuso, co-architect of the Korean Pavilion, and Cho Min-suk, commissioner of the 2014 Golden Lion-winning exhibition. Launch of ARKO Art Studio and Expansion of International Programs ARKO recently opened the ARKO Art Studio in Pyeongchang-dong, Seoul - a new creative base for visual artists. The facility includes five private studios, an outdoor performance stage, and an academic hall. It will host 10 resident artists, with programming that includes cultural tours, mentorship, seminars, open studios, art fair participation, and exhibitions. In addition, ARKO is expanding global partnerships to support Korean artists abroad. Current collaborators include: In 2025, ARKO is running residency programs with 23 partner organizations across five global regions and has launched new collaborations with institutions such as New Museum's NEW INC (USA), transmediale (Germany), and Ain Shams University (Egypt). New initiatives to support the international visibility of Korean arts include: Additionally, ARKO is also enhancing inbound cultural exchange through a new Inbound Cooperation Program themed around "Regional Decline," encouraging dialogue and experimental artistic responses to this urgent issue. Chairman Choung concluded, "ARKO will continue to take bold steps to foster a sustainable ecosystem for Korean arts. By transcending borders and partnering with global institutions, we aim to make Korean arts more accessible, more connected, and more inspiring to the world." Press materials and images are available for download via the Arts Council Korea Google Drive. [ARKO] 2025_Global Week presskit - Google Drive
Korea Herald
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Arko, Getty forge partnership to exchange research programs
Partnership comes ahead of 100th birthday of late artist Paik Nam-june in 2032 Arts Council Korea, a national institution dedicated to promoting arts and culture, and Getty Research Institute, a US-based center for historical art research, conservation and scholarship, announced partnership on Thursday to collaborate on art history research, exchanging research projects and scholars. The announcement was made ahead of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Korean-born video artist Paik Nam-june in 2032, according to Arko. Starting from fall 2025, a delegation of Arko staff members will visit Getty to learn about their archival holdings, research projects and history of international exchange. Getty staff will pay a reciprocal visit to Arko and the Nam June Paik Art Center in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, to discuss their next steps, according to Getty Research Institute. 'The Arts Council Korea will put forward full efforts to function as a foothold for Korean art to be heralded globally with diverse international partnerships,' said Choung Byoung-gug, chairperson of Arko, Thursday. Arko will fund a pilot program in 2026 for Korean guest researchers to embark on a summer residency at Getty to explore the topic of Paik with a focus on his connections with a wider international circle of artists and his legacy in contemporary art. 'Fluxus was an absolutely seminal moment in Paik's career. We have one of the largest collections in the world of Fluxus art, and it came through the first collector of Fluxus art, named Jean Brown. We also have the archive of David Tutor, who was a frequent collaborator with avant-garde, and he was John Cage's closest collaborator,' Andrew Perchuk, deputy director of the Getty Research Institute, told The Korea Herald. Arko is a public institute under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. It operates arts platforms including the Arko Art Center and participates in the Korean Pavilion for the Venice Biennale. Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles is a leading international center with special collections and an array of programs. It forged its first official collaboration with a Korean institution, the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, in 2024.
Korea Herald
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Where are we now? Thirty-year history of Korean Pavilion at Venice Biennale
Architects, curators, experts discuss legacy of Korean Pavilion at Venice Biennale 2025 VENICE, Italy — For the past three decades, South Korean curators and architects have presented their discourse to global audiences at the Korean Pavilion, the last permanent national pavilion at Giardini, one of the Venice Biennale's main venues. Commemorating the pavilion's 30th anniversary, architects, curators, experts and city officials gathered on May 8 to attend the '30 Years of the Korean Pavilion' forum held at the Fondazione Querini Stampalia, and reflect on the legacy and meaning of the Venice Biennale pavilion built in 1995. Franco Mancuso, co-architect of the Korean Pavilion who collaborated with the late Korean architect Kim Seok-chul, walked forum attendees through the history of the Venice Biennale and shared his experience of designing the pavilion. He donated the design materials of the Korean Pavilion to the Korean government in 2023. 'The Biennale is an institution unique in the world. Equally unique is the location, the Giardini, which for a long time has identified the institution and represents its roots,' he said. The design of the Korean Pavilion itself became the cornerstone of the exhibition this year, presenting how architecture responds to the surrounding environment and is built with respect to nature. The exhibition, 'Little Toad, Little Toad: Unbuilding Pavilion,' was shown at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition at the Venice Biennale and opened to the public on May 10. 'Rather than thinking of the pavilion as a white cube, we approached it as a living, layered entity," said Chung Dah-young, co-curator of the exhibition. 'We included the surrounding trees (as part of the exhibition), whose presence significantly sharpened the pavilion design. Inside, we displayed installations on the rooftop and the underground level along with the site map that shows its relationship to the nature of the landscape.' Kimm Jong-soung, president emeritus of Seoul Architects and commissioner of the Korean Pavilion in 2002, expressed admiration of Mancuso and gratitude to fellow Korean architects and curators. 'Their creative efforts (for the newly opened exhibition this year) were trained on an analysis of what comes down today, toward the deconstruction of elements that constitute an ensemble and, finally, toward a creative vision of what the Korean Pavilion can hope to be in the decades ahead,' he said. Architect Cho Min-suk, who received the Golden Lion award in 2014 for curating the Korean Pavilion theme, 'Crow's Eye View: The Korean Peninsula,' talked about his project. In particular, he focused on how he expanded his discourse to include North Korea by questioning why the Korean Pavilion was named 'Corea,' not South Korea. "Rem Koolhaas (who helmed the Biennale as curator) announced the theme 'Fundamentals," which attempted to — instead of being dedicated to the celebration of the contemporary — look at history and reconstruct how architecture finds itself in its current situation and speculate on its future," Cho said. "It has been a real privilege to be part of this momentum, and I am quite excited to see what is coming for the future," he added. Marco Mulazzani, a professor at University of Ferrara, gave a presentation with the theme of "Permanence in Change: The Giardini of the Venice Biennale from 1887." Rinio Bruttomesso, a former professor at Iuav University of Venice, shared his memories of the late Korean architect Kim Seok-chul, the co-architect of Korean Pavilion. The forum, with an audience of some 130, was moderated by Choi Choon, professor of the department of architecture and architectural engineering at Seoul National University. '(The forum) serves not only as a reflection of the past journey, but also as a launching point toward a greater future,' said Song Si-kyeong, director of the general secretariat of Arts Council Korea.
