Latest news with #Kyung-hwanYeo
CairoScene
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CairoScene
This Mind-Bending Exhibition Will Teleport You from Abu Dhabi to Seoul
Robots, weird machines, and enough sci-fi to make your brain do a backflip—this one's for those who like their art with a side of magic. If your summer travel plans happen to include a cultural adventure through Abu Dhabi (and seriously, they should), you might want to get ready for a little teleportation magic. Right on Saadiyat Island—a buzzing cultural hub with pristine beaches, luxury resorts, and some of the region's most iconic museums—a cross-country portal has just opened, and if you venture through, you'll find yourself face to face with the wild, shimmering world of Korean contemporary art. Inside Manarat Al Saadiyat, the island's coolest art space, the mind-bending exhibition 'Layered Medium: We Are in Open Circuits' is a full-on conceptual voyage through Korea's artistic evolution, told by the very creators who pushed the boundaries of what art can be. Curated by Kyung-hwan Yeo of Seoul Museum of Art and Maya El Khalil of the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation—the two institutions co-organizing the show—'Layered Medium' pulses with poetic robots, glitched-out memories, kinetic sculptures, speculative cities, and video pieces that feel like time machines. At the center of this buzzing creative circuit is Nam June Paik—the legendary godfather of video art whose works feel like a playful mashup of sci-fi, philosophy, and good old-fashioned mischief. Alongside him, you'll find some of Korea's most iconic and imaginative voices, like: Yunchul Kim, whose intricate kinetic machines are so alive they might just start humming along as you watch, and Park Hyun-Ki, a pioneer who danced along the blurry line between technology and metaphysics. And because this is Abu Dhabi—a city that never does things halfway—the exhibition is more than just what's on the walls. A rich programme of talks, performances, and screenings runs throughout the season, inviting deeper dialogue on everything from technology and identity to memory, migration, and modernity. There's even a bilingual publication, 'Layered Dialogues', that maps the shared ideas, rhythms, and visions between Korea and Abu Dhabi. On view until June 30th, 2025 (and yes, it's totally free!), this is your chance to jump off the usual tourist trail and dive headfirst into Korea's wildest creative playground—all without leaving Abu Dhabi.
CairoScene
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CairoScene
‘Layered Medium' Exhibit Brings Six Decades of Korean Art to Abu Dhabi
The Manarat Al Saadiyat exhibit runs until June 30th, marking the first major showcase of Korean contemporary art in the Gulf. May 11, 2025 Abu Dhabi's Manarat Al Saadiyat is set to host 'Layered Medium: We Are in Open Circuits', the first large-scale showcase of Korean contemporary art in the Gulf region. Running from May 16th to June 30th, 2025, the exhibit is a collaborative effort between the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF) and the Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA). Co-curated by SeMA's Kyung-hwan Yeo and independent curator Maya El Khalil, the exhibition features 48 works by 29 Korean artists, including pioneers like Nam June Paik and Park Hyunki, as well as contemporary figures such as Lee Bul, Haegue Yang, Ayoung Kim, and Moka Lee. The exhibition explores the evolution of Korea's avant-garde art scene over six decades, highlighting how artists have responded to social and technological changes. The exhibition's title, inspired by Nam June Paik's phrase 'We Are in Open Circuits,' reflects its focus on the medium as a system of communication. Visitors will encounter a diverse range of media, from early experiments in video and performance to immersive installations and digital simulations, offering insights into how media shapes perception, memory, and connection. Designed by the acclaimed studio Formafantasma, the exhibition space enhances the thematic exploration of media and communication. A dynamic public programme, including panel talks, screenings, and performances, will accompany the exhibition. Notably, on May 16th, a curatorial discussion featuring Kyung-hwan Yeo, Maya El Khalil, and artists Byungjun Kwon and Goen Choi will delve into the exhibition's conceptual framework. 'Layered Medium: We Are in Open Circuits' is open daily from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM at Manarat Al Saadiyat. Admission is free, and further details about the public programme are available online.
