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| Installation artist Kim Yun-chul, left, and curator Lee Young-chul speak about the Korean Pavilion's upcoming exhibition for the 59th Venice Biennale in April at the ARKO Art Center in central Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap |
By Park Han-sol
For the upcoming 59th International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale, the Korean Pavilion will transform into "a mammoth organic body," where artist Kim Yun-chul's site-specific installations and the pavilion's changed building structure will intermingle harmoniously, according to its curator, Lee Young-chul.
"We have partially torn off the pavilion's ceiling, revealing some of the building's original interior framings. This space will allow in natural light and scents to interact with Kim's dynamic pieces," Lee said at a press conference held at the ARKO Art Center in central Seoul, Tuesday.
Dubbed the "Olympics of the Art World," the Venice Biennale has been one of the most prestigious cultural institutions since it was founded in 1895. The 59th edition, curated by Cecilia Alemani, will take place from April 23 to Nov. 27 under the theme of "The Milk of Dreams." More than 80 national pavilions, represented by each country's curator, will showcase to the audience a wide range of works fitting the Biennale's theme.
The Korean Pavilion's exhibition will be presented with the multilayered theme of "Gyre," as a metaphor for the current swirling state of confusion the world is in as we wait for change to come.
"While a circle is a closed curve, a gyre is open-ended in both directions," Kim explained. "I wanted to speak about things that are fluid and are in constant motion."
Kim, the sole participating creator for the pavilion's show, is an installation artist, whose transdisciplinary research spans across philosophy, literature, science and mythology. He is known for his yearslong exploration of magnetohydrodynamics ― the study of the magnetic dynamics of electrically conducting fluids ― and has created unique works with hydrogel-filled tubes that show the changing state of invisible nanoparticles.
A total of seven large-scale installations will be on display, pulsating and breathing within the space as if they are alive, thereby visualizing the three sub-themes: "The Swollen Suns," "The Path of Gods" and "The Great Outdoors."
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| Kim Yun-chul's "Chroma" (2020) / Courtesy of the artist |
Meanwhile, the operation of this year's edition of the Korean Pavilion has been bogged down by a string of unprecedented controversies.
Last year, the selection of the pavilion curator was embroiled in a cronyism controversy, prompting the Arts Council Korea (ARKO), the commission responsible for organizing and operating the pavilion, to nullify its earlier decision and reevaluate all applicants.
After Lee was appointed as the curator, there were allegations that he failed to fulfill the contract when he did not approve the production budget within the time required by Kim and his staff members. This delay pushed the artist to file a complaint with ARKO at the end of last year, which nearly led to the dismissal of Lee from his position.
The two explained at Tuesday's press conference that ARKO's administrative procedures are also in need of serious revision and that there are a number of other unresolved issues.
However, with the Venice Biennale being less than a month away, both Lee and Kim said, "It is of foremost importance to put on a quality show."
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| Kim Yun-chul's "Argos" (2018) / Courtesy of the artist |
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