Journalist
Yoon Juhye
jujusun@ajunews.com
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National Museum sound of Silla-era bell used in BTS album track, merch The National Museum of Korea said March 20 that the sound recording and decorative motifs of the “King Seongdeok Bell,” a cultural heritage item held by the Gyeongju National Museum, were used in a BTS full-length album and related collaboration merchandise. The museum said the project stems from a memorandum of understanding signed in October last year by the National Museum of Korea, the National Museum Foundation of Korea and HYBE to help expand Korean cultural heritage and K-culture. At HYBE’s request after the agreement, the museum provided a high-quality bell-sound recording of the King Seongdeok Bell that is available as a public-use work. The recording was used in the BTS track “No.29” on the group’s new album, “ARIRANG.” After the MOU was signed, museum director Yu Hong-jun guided HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk through the museum’s third-floor sensory exhibition gallery, where they listened to and discussed the bell’s resonance, the museum said. The King Seongdeok Bell is a major Korean bronze bell made in 771 during the Unified Silla period. It stands 3.6 meters tall and weighs 18.9 tons, and is known for its imposing sound and design. The museum said the collaboration offers a new way to experience the bell’s distinctive “beating” effect, in which the sound swells and fades repeatedly and lingers softly. The bell is displayed outdoors at the Gyeongju National Museum. Visitors can experience its sound and vibrations at the National Museum of Korea’s third-floor sensory gallery, “Space_Between,” and hear the original recording at the Gyeongju National Museum’s digital video hall, the museum said. Separately, the National Museum Foundation of Korea and HYBE developed graphics based on the bell’s donor figure and surrounding cloud patterns for a five-item “2026 BTS X MU:DS Collaboration Merch.” line: a shoulder bag, card holder, hair clip, hairpin and layered skirt. The National Museum of Korea said it will continue interpreting and expanding the historical value and appeal of Korean cultural heritage in modern ways, and strengthen its role as a cultural platform linking tradition and the present, museums and popular culture.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-20 17:12:20 -
Road Closures Begin at 9 p.m. Ahead of BTS Comeback Show at Gwanghwamun "Starting at 9 tonight, everything will be closed except for two lanes. Stage installation will continue. Seating will be set up across all areas except those two lanes. Eight large LED screens will also be installed," said Kim Jong-gi, head of HYBE’s Policy Operations Center. Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Choi Hwi-young visited the Gwanghwamun area on March 20 to check preparations and the safety management system for BTS’ comeback concert. He also inspected the ministry’s situation management headquarters set up at the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History. With as many as 260,000 people expected to gather around Gwanghwamun and the Gyeongbokgung area on the day of the concert, Choi urged organizers and relevant agencies to coordinate closely to ensure a safe environment for attendees. Kim said the stage backdrop will effectively be Gwanghwamun Gate and the palace wall, adding that lighting for a facade will be installed behind the pillar on the right side of the stage. He emphasized that special efforts are being made to protect cultural heritage. Choi also stressed a hard line against ticket scalping. "Even if you bought a scalped ticket, we will block it through various measures, including ID checks," he said. He added that transferring wristbands would also be stopped, including by using hand stamps to prevent entry, and reiterated that scalped tickets would not get people into the venue. "Scalped tickets are 100% a scam," Choi said. "People should never buy them. You will end up disappointed at the site." Choi then visited the ministry’s situation management headquarters at the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History to review overall crisis-response plans. To strengthen safety readiness, the ministry will issue a ‘caution’ level disaster alert for concert venues in Seoul’s Jung and Jongno districts from 7 a.m. March 21 to 7 a.m. March 22. It is the first time the ministry has issued a crisis alert specifically for concert-venue disasters. Choi asked staff whether anything more was needed, saying the work environment must not be lacking to maintain focus and that supplies should be well stocked. He also visited HYBE’s safety management headquarters next to the ministry’s situation room and asked it to work closely with the ministry to ensure the concert ends smoothly. "This concert will be a highly symbolic moment to showcase the appeal of K-culture to people around the world," Choi said. "The government is working with relevant ministries to review crowd-management measures and venue safety rules and to prepare for all possible situations." "What matters most for a successful performance is safety," he said, calling for public cooperation so the concert can be held safely based on mature civic awareness. 2026-03-20 11:36:21 -
Venice Biennale Korea Pavilion to Explore ‘Liberation Space,’ Featuring Work by Han Kang The theme of the Korea Pavilion at this year’s Venice Biennale, opening in May, is “Liberation Space: Fortress and Nest.” The exhibition revisits the “liberation space” of 1945 to 1948 — a transitional period after Japanese colonial rule as Koreans sought to build a new state — and extends it into an ongoing, present-day question explored through aesthetics. Writer Han Kang will take part. Choi Bitna, the pavilion’s artistic director, said at a news conference March 19 at ARKO Art Center in Seoul that Han’s Nobel Prize lecture resonated with her. “Just as Han Kang’s lecture included the line, ‘Can the past help the present? Can the dead save the living,’ I couldn’t help but ask what role art — or I — can play,” Choi said. Choi also referred to what she called the “illegal martial law” incident on Dec. 3, the impeachment and a change of government, saying they sharpened a shared civic awareness about the country’s formation and the development of its democratic system. “I hoped I could do something as a way to repay those who stood in the square for so long,” she said. The pavilion will be presented as a temporary monument for “Liberation Space,” described as both a liberation space and an ongoing site for practicing a new concept of sovereignty. Artists Choi Go-eun and Cho Hyeri will present sculptural installations and performance-based works titled “Meridian” and “Bearing,” respectively. Choi said she focused on 1995, when the Korea Pavilion was built. “That was when the Gwangju Biennale was first held and Korea National University of Arts was established. The demolition of the former Japanese Government-General building also began,” she said. “It was a moment of transition, leading into the start of a civilian government.” The pavilion will also invite a wide range of creators and activists from cultural and social fields as fellows, including novelist Han. Organizers said Han is not expected to attend the exhibition opening. Artist Noh Hyeri said Han created a sculpture titled “Funeral,” which is scheduled to be shown alongside Noh’s work. “A community didn’t only save people — it also killed many,” Noh said, adding that Han is expected to address that theme. Noh said Han’s “Funeral” realizes in sculpture a scene from a dream that became a motif for Han’s novel “I Do Not Bid Farewell.” Two anthology volumes published in place of a catalog will include Han’s writing, including pages 1 and 2 of the novel. Organizers also said the Korea Pavilion will pursue cooperation with the Japan Pavilion, described as the first such collaboration between the only two Asian national pavilions in the Giardini. Hyundai Motor is the exhibition’s official sponsor. Bulgari Korea, the Doosan Yonkang Foundation, Shinhan Bank and individual donors are also providing support. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-19 17:18:15 -
National Library to Open Interactive Media Art Exhibit on Modern Korean Poetry The National Library of Korea said Thursday it will open a new exhibition, “Artist’s Note,” on Friday at its “Path of Knowledge” gallery space in Seocho, Seoul, turning modern Korean poems that represent the four seasons into interactive media art. The exhibition features four well-known poems adapted into hands-on content: Kim Yeong-rang’s “Until the Peonies Bloom” for spring, Lee Yuk-sa’s “Green Grapes” for summer, Yun Dong-ju’s “Boy” for fall, and Jeong Ji-yong’s “Windowpane 1” for winter. As visitors touch walls and floors or move through the space, sensors trigger different effects for each work, including peonies blooming in vivid color and clusters of green grapes appearing on branches. “Green Grapes” is rendered in a digital ink-wash style, using dynamic lines and open space to form a single completed image. “Boy” uses calligraphy to highlight the visual beauty of Hangul and convey the poem’s lyrical emotion in a more three-dimensional way. The library said “Artist’s Note” was designed to help audiences accustomed to digital video engage more easily with modern and contemporary Korean literature. After experiencing the media art, visitors can read the original texts in print at a bookshelf set up in the “Path of Knowledge” area. The library will also display “BTS’s Bookshelf” from Friday through April 12, introducing Korean literature read by the global pop group BTS. A related event will run from March 20 to 31: an “SNS visit verification” promotion that will give small souvenirs to 100 participants. Admission is free. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-19 09:37:16 -
BTS Comeback Show Nears as Fans Pack Seoul’s Gwanghwamun for Photos and Video “I took photos and videos to send to friends and family.” Fans crowded the Sejong-daero area near Seoul’s Gwanghwamun on March 17, gathering for souvenir photos ahead of BTS’ comeback performance. As ad videos promoting “BTS Comeback Live: Arirang (ARIRANG)” played on major building screens, fans kept stopping to film and pose. Across from the KT Gwanghwamun building’s display, small groups lined the boulevard recording the footage. Yang, a 32-year-old Chinese national, said street performances are banned in China, making a large-scale show in central Seoul “surprising and impressive.” He said friends in China were curious, so he was sending photos. He added he plans to return on the day of the performance with six friends and send proof photos to family in China. On social media, overseas fans have also been posting “Gwanghwamun proof shots,” sharing photos taken around Sejong-daero, including the Kyobo Life Insurance building’s exterior signboard and the outdoor steps of the Sejong Center. Hwang, a Vietnamese national, said he filmed the ad video and shared it with acquaintances, adding that friends and family in Vietnam are highly interested in the show. From Sejong-daero to Cheonggyecheon-ro, BTS visuals cover building walls Building facades around Gwanghwamun have been filled with videos promoting the comeback performance, scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. on March 21 (Korea time). Screens on major media buildings and at the Ilmin Museum of Art have been running the promotional clips on a loop. A building that houses the HiKR Ground Korea tourism promotion center has been showing purple-toned videos featuring ARMY fan messages, including: “Proud to be ARMY,” “We’ll always be behind you,” “Enjoy yourselves on stage,” “We’ll cheer for this comeback, too,” and “I’ve been waiting for this day. Fire!” The Kyobo Life Insurance building’s signboard has also become a popular stop for fans. Kyobo Life and Big Hit Music collaborated on a massive exterior wrap measuring 90 meters (295 feet) wide and 21 meters (69 feet) tall. It includes phrases such as “Until the story that began with me moves the whole world” and “Born in Korea, Play for the World.” Kyobo Life said the wrap is meant to convey hope that, like BTS writing its own story on the global stage, citizens will develop their potential through challenge and effort and move toward a bigger world. The design reflects the shapes of the four trigrams from the South Korean flag — geon, gon, gam and ri — and applies elements of BTS’ new album design to the typeface and colors. A Big Hit Music official said, “We hope the hopeful energy in this collaboration is also conveyed well to citizens.” Jongno-gu district officials have posted banners ahead of the performance to promote spectator safety. The banners include QR codes with traffic safety information and the message, “Welcome to Jongno, BTS and everyone.” Businesses in the area are also preparing for the influx. Some restaurants have hung welcome banners or planned group sing-along events featuring BTS songs. A Hollys store near Gwanghwamun said it will extend hours by two hours and stay open until 1 a.m., while Starbucks said it will flex staffing to keep operations running smoothly. Convenience stores said they are securing more than 100 times their usual stock of key items. Museums to close; officials urge “clean concert culture” On the day of the performance, museums around Gwanghwamun will close, and many buildings near the venue will be shut. The National Museum of Korean Contemporary History, the National Folk Museum of Korea and the National Palace Museum of Korea will temporarily close that day. Gyeongbokgung Palace will also close for the event, with its parking lot shut and access fully restricted. The Korea Heritage Service said it will place all staff on an emergency work system to prevent crowd accidents and damage to cultural heritage sites. Authorities have designated 31 buildings near the venue for intensive management. For six buildings adjacent to Gwanghwamun Square, the main entrances will be closed on the day of the performance, with only rear entrances open. The Sejong Center has also adjusted its schedule. No performances will be held, including the musical “Anna Karenina,” the play “Wasp,” and the dance program “Double Bill Bliss and Jackie.” At Sungnyemun, where a BTS media facade event is scheduled for March 20, organizers said they will manage capacity, separate pedestrian and viewer routes, and add safety staff to prevent crowding. After the event, structures will be removed and the site restored so normal viewing can resume the next day. In a previous news release, Korea Heritage Service Administrator Heo Min urged visitors to follow designated viewing areas to protect Gyeongbokgung’s palace platform and walls and to follow on-site staff guidance to prevent accidents. He also asked for cooperation in a “clean concert culture,” including taking home personal items after the performance. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-19 06:13:09 -
Korea’s Hwarang Art Fair to Open at Record Scale With 169 Galleries South Korea’s longest-running art fair, the Hwarang Art Fair, will return this spring at its largest scale yet, with 169 leading domestic galleries taking part. Lee Seong-hoon, chairman of the Korea Galleries Association, said at a news conference Tuesday at the Seoul Press Center that the fair will “spotlight 19 artists through expanded solo booths.” He added, “We have prepared docent programs and special exhibitions so visitors can appreciate the works more deeply.” The fair, now in its 44th year, is widely seen as a bellwether for the country’s art market and a major event that helps set the tone for the year. It will run April 8-12 at COEX in Seoul. Tickets have been on sale since March 9 through the fair’s official website. Major galleries including Gana Art, Kukje Gallery, Gallery Hyundai, Johyun Gallery, Hakgojae and PKM will participate, joined by newer galleries that opened after the 2010s, organizers said. Gallery Hyundai will show works by Dansaekhwa master Chung Sang-hwa, who died earlier this year, and by Lee Kang-so, regarded as a leading figure in experimental art. Samter Gallery will present works by Dansaekhwa masters Park Seo-bo and Yun Hyong-keun, along with pieces by young Chinese abstract painter Chen Lizhu. Kukje Gallery plans to show works by Zhang Peili, who held a solo exhibition at its Seoul space last year, as well as Korean Canadian artist Lotus Kang and emerging Korean artists including Park Jin-a, Kim Se-eun and Kim Young-na. Gallery Sklo will present works by Shin Sang-ho, described as a pioneer of contemporary ceramics, along with Lee Sang-min, Kim Nam-doo and Park Sung-hoon. Sun Gallery will show works by Woo Byung-yoon, and Keumsan Gallery will present works by Lee Yoon-jung. The association is also marking its 50th anniversary with added programming aimed at drawing more visitors. The “solo booth” section, launched last year and drawing strong interest, will feature 19 galleries focusing on a single artist each. Participating artists include Jung Hyun, Moon Hyung-tae, Gil Woo-jung, Woo Byung-chul, Huai Ying and Patrick Hughes. A separate special exhibition will look back at the Korea Galleries Association’s history and the evolution of the country’s art market. Organizers said it will display materials including the association’s magazine Hwarang Chunchu, early Hwarang Art Fair catalogs, press clippings on the art market and previously unreleased photographs. The exhibition will also feature interviews with seven former association chairmen, tracing the group’s growth, changes in the art market and key turning points. Meanwhile, the association will participate for a second straight year in Expo Chicago 2026, running April 9-12. Twelve major Korean galleries will present more than 250 works by artists representing contemporary Korean art. In Chicago, the second stop of the overseas traveling exhibition of the Lee Kun-hee Collection, titled “Korean National Treasures: Korean Art 2000 Years,” is currently on view at the Art Institute of Chicago. Lee said of the second consecutive year of participation that he felt “Korean galleries raised the level of the Chicago art fair.” He said the association is exploring ways to expand into overseas markets including Singapore. “It’s true that going overseas comes with a heavy financial burden,” he said, adding that he expects government support to expand once the Art Promotion Act takes effect. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-17 15:06:55 -
New Books: “Tips from the Top” Collects Advice From 70 Leading Architects Tips from the Top=By Ken Yang and others, translated by Jeong Ji-hyeon, Dplot. A new book gathers advice from 70 internationally known architects — figures the industry might liken to master chefs — organized into seven themes: getting started, inspiration, values, focus, process, self-development and decision-making. The project began when Raghdah Alhayal, an architect in her 20s in the United Arab Emirates, asked senior architects for guidance on success. What started as personal outreach expanded into a broader “Tips from the Top” project. While the book features guidance from architects at the top of their field, it also underscores that strong ideas do not flow only from the top down: The collection itself grew from a younger architect’s questions, a bottom-up start that suggests major ideas can come from below. The advice is paired with the pleasure of recalling landmark works by the contributors. William Pedersen, who participated in designing Lotte World Tower, recommends “comparative design,” urging architects to present multiple options rather than a single answer to a given set of requirements. Mario Botta, who designed Leeum Museum of Art’s Museum 1 (M1), Gangnam Kyobo Tower and Phoenix Island Agora in Jeju, offers a blunt message: “Work, work, and keep working.” Arthur Gensler, who designed Nvidia’s headquarters, advises leaders to “give people greater authority as they make wiser decisions.” Ali Rahim and Hina Jamelle, who led a MoMA project, say: “Be true to your identity.” Other lines read like life guidance: “Not missing the basics is the basic” (Dong Gong); “Flip it, flip it, and flip it again” (Yu Kongjian); and “Grow first as a human being” (Li Hu). Some counsel speaks to endurance in a fast-changing era, including “Make architecture that will stand the test of time” (Gordon Gill) and “Be a flame that burns slowly and for a long time” (Sharon Johnston & Marklee). The book does not demand that readers follow every tip. It suggests taking any sentence that resonates and reshaping it to fit one’s own life — a process that can be a lesson in itself. "Architecture is like a long-term romance. If I dare to offer a formula: two spoonfuls of optimism, one spoonful of obsession, plus a bit of denial and an almost constant admiration for absurdity. Luck clearly plays a role, too. But architecture’s true power comes from a commitment to keep exploring an infinite realm that is still unknown — or even beyond what can be conceived." (p. 152, Thom Mayne) Korea Financial Crisis=By Hong Jong-hak, Econ. The author, an economist and policy expert, served as the first minister of SMEs and Startups in 2017. He introduced the concept of predatory lending in South Korea and helped spur entrepreneurship by abolishing the practice of joint guarantees that had blocked second chances. In the book, he argues that “a financial crisis is not something that arrives suddenly, but the result of accumulated choices.” He outlines the historical backdrop of repeated crises and the structure of the Korean economy, assesses where the economy now stands, and examines possible policy and social choices to avoid a crisis. He identifies household debt as the weakest link and describes the recent rise in delinquency rates and default risks in vulnerable sectors as a “gray rhino” — a danger he says has been chosen and neglected by policymakers. "Above all, what matters is our society’s sense of community. True crisis recovery begins with letting go of the selfish belief that only my home price must not fall. Today’s high home prices are a house of cards built on debt that future generations will have to carry. What use are expensive apartments in a country where young people cannot dream and the sound of babies crying disappears?" (p. 385) The King’s Road=By Baek Seung-gi. Baek, a South Korean architect and urban engineer, writes what he calls a vivid, walking-centered exploration of history, based on his own on-the-ground visits to sites where the Joseon Dynasty’s triumphs and failures intersect. The routes he documents — King Taejong’s “road of founding,” King Sejong’s “road of preservation,” and the “road of humiliation” experienced by King Injo and King Gojong — are presented as connected to realities people face today. He asks whether readers will remain “consumers” who settle on smooth roads built by others, or become “pioneers” who take the controls and design their own path. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-16 16:39:21 -
Korea Arts and Culture Education Agency Opens Applications for 2026 Online ArtE Academy The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Arts and Culture Education Service said on 16 they have begun recruiting participants for the “2026 Online ArtE Academy,” a program designed to train arts and culture education professionals. Courses for arts educators include legally required training for school arts instructors and arts-and-culture education organizations, along with modules on domestic and international trends, case studies and how to plan education programs. The curriculum is intended to strengthen both fieldwork skills and planning capacity. Training for teachers focuses on examples of arts-and-culture education programs and planning methods that can be used in schools by grade level and art genre. It will be carried out in cooperation with the Ministry of Education’s General Training Institute and the National Institute for Central Education Training. Courses for administrative staff will center on policy trends in arts-and-culture education and core administrative competencies, aiming to improve understanding needed to run projects, support the field and respond in practice. Reflecting changes in the arts environment, the Online ArtE Academy will newly release 16 training courses: four on overseas cases, four collaborative courses with prominent artists and eight practical courses for professionals in after-school care programs. The overseas-case series will offer four video courses covering sound-based arts education and examples of using artificial intelligence, drawing on institutions such as France’s IRCAM and the Netherlands’ Muziekgebouw. For emerging arts educators, the academy will also introduce four “Artist Code” courses sharing the education philosophy and perspectives of well-known artists including Choo Soo, Choi Jeong-hwa, Eom Jeong-soon and choreographer Kim Seong-hoon. All courses are free. Starting in April, the academy will roll out topic-based recommended-course content and run participation programs such as course-registration events. Details are available on the Online ArtE Academy website and the agency’s official social media channels.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-16 15:24:29 -
South Korea Launches ‘Dream Studio’ Visual Arts Program, Seeks 20 Regional Hubs The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Arts & Culture Education Service said March 16 they will begin full-scale operations of “Dream Studio” as a regular program. To do so, they will accept applications from March 16 to April 15 to select 20 regional hub institutions to run the program nationwide. Dream Studio is a new project under the “Dream Arts Group,” introduced with a focus on visual arts, following the existing Dream Orchestra, dance troupe and theater troupe programs. After a yearlong pilot, it will shift to a regular program this year and expand nationwide. The program is designed to help children grow as creators who interpret and express the world. It will be based in artists’ studios or professional workspaces and support visual arts education across media including painting, sculpture, video and artificial intelligence. Eligible applicants include public institutions and incorporated organizations such as local cultural foundations and cultural facilities that can operate the program over the mid to long term. Applicants must secure a dedicated visual arts space, such as a workshop or studio, though operations may also be linked to private artists’ studios. The 20 selected hubs will receive continuous national funding of 100 million won through the third year, and up to 50 million won in years four and five, to encourage stable local settlement. From the sixth year, the plan calls for systematic growth support so local governments can operate the program independently. Separately, the ministry and the agency will run a pilot “Dream Arts Group Plus” program this year to offer broader arts experiences beyond single-discipline instruction. Centered on the Dream Orchestra, it will add new music fields such as Korean traditional music and choir, and expand participation from children and teens to include infants, toddlers and families, aiming to build a more comprehensive arts education environment for future generations. Applications for 10 operating institutions will be accepted from March 26 to April 23 from public institutions and incorporated organizations nationwide that run children’s and youth orchestras, including Dream Orchestra hubs. Selected institutions will receive about 100 million won each to operate new convergence programs combined with orchestras. More details will be posted March 26 on the agency’s website. Applications for Dream Studio will be submitted online via e-Nara Help Desk starting March 16. An online briefing for interested institutions and organizations will be held at 2 p.m. March 25. Details are available on the agency’s website. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-16 14:42:17 -
Leeum, Ho-Am Exhibitions Put the Focus Back on the Human Hand “Before it even touches Adam’s finger.” From “The Story of Art” (Yekyung), p. 310. Michelangelo (1475-1564) captured the split second before God’s and Adam’s index fingers meet to suggest the moment of creation. In the Sistine Chapel ceiling fresco “The Creation of Adam,” an all-powerful God reaches toward the first man, as if passing on a “spark of life” through a fingertip. Art historian E.H. Gombrich wrote in “The Story of Art” that the painting’s way of making God’s omnipotence visible is “one of the greatest miracles of art” (p. 310). Hands have long carried meaning — care and comfort, trust and power, violence and control. People build tools, write and draw with their fingers; they also seal solidarity with a handshake or signal conflict with a fist. In the Middle Ages, some believed a king’s touch could heal. The article notes that people even crossed from the New World to Britain to receive the touch of Britain’s Charles II. In “E.T.,” an alien and a boy touch fingers to form a bond. In director Jean-Jacques Annaud’s film “The Lover,” a fingertip touch signals the start of a dangerous romance. If the Buddha’s open palm is associated with peace and compassion, Hitler’s palm-down Nazi salute became a symbol of totalitarian fear. Now, the article argues, humans are trying to pass that dexterity to humanoid robots. It says major U.S. tech companies, as well as South Korean firms including Samsung, Hyundai Motor and LG, are working on robot hands — a modern echo of “The Creation of Adam.” Against that backdrop, two exhibitions running through June 28 — Tino Sehgal at the Leeum Museum of Art and “Kim Yunshin: Habi Habil, Bun-i Bun-il” at the Ho-Am Museum of Art — turn attention back to human touch. Sehgal centers exchange between people; Kim focuses on life shaped by hands working in unity with nature. Like a bird on a branch At Leeum’s lobby, there is no actual forest. Yet visitors can be invited to “touch” a tree and hear birdsong. Performers — described as interpreters — blend into the crowd, then approach a visitor with a gesture. Interpreter and visitor share the motion by touching fingertips. In Sehgal’s work, hands are not tools for taking photos or video. They become a living link between people. The exchange is meant to remain in the body and memory, not on social media. Sehgal has long asked how art can exist without a physical object. He leaves no sculpture or painting behind, building what he calls “constructed situations” through the human body, language and social interaction. Visitors become part of the exhibition and carry it forward through gesture, speech and recollection. At a recent news conference at Leeum, Sehgal said, “Art is a game we play together,” and “art is the continuation of the game.” He added, “I’m interested in real experience. The artist’s intention is only a kind of help — what matters is how you feel the work.” The exhibition also includes a live work referencing Rodin’s “The Kiss,” owned by Leeum, and other kiss scenes from art history. Two interpreters — a man and a woman — hold each other and move slowly. “My work connects to the past but also has something new,” Sehgal said. “Kissing appears in many works in art history. I thought about how to continue what’s in art history through my work.” Asked whether his “Kiss” can be passed on like baseball, he said transmission happens between people. “When you teach baseball to a 5-year-old, you don’t hand them a book — you teach with words and the body,” he said. “Showing objects (as museums do) is actually the exception in human history.” Adding and dividing into one — the tree keeps branching “My hands and my emotions connect as one with the tree. The moment I let go and stand the finished piece upright, I discover I have embodied, in a totem-like way, my dream of reaching the sky.” — Kim Yunshin, “The Soul of Wood,” Art in Culture, April 2023 The book “A Cultural History of Form” (Hangilsa) describes civilization — including humans, environments, artifacts and cultural phenomena — as following a branching structure like a tree. As limbs and fingers branch from a body, the article notes, similar patterns appear in neurons, lung airways, river deltas and lightning. Material culture, too, spread into countless branches through trial, error and innovation. At Ho-Am, Kim’s retrospective is built around her guiding idea, “Habi Habil, Bun-i Bun-il (合二合一 分二分一).” The article explains it as a process in which artist and material become one (合), and then a new work is born (分) — a movement between convergence and dispersal. Kim has said she gained insight by studying wood over time and carving it away with a chainsaw. Her sculptures, the article says, gather many strands: stacked stone towers; the lines of hanbok sleeves and the eaves of traditional Korean houses; Catholic and shamanistic beliefs; and the grandeur of South American nature and its vivid cultures. At a news conference on the 11th, Kim said, “The tree is me.” She added, “Since I was young, I lived with nature in the countryside, at the foot of a mountain. That’s me. I am nature.” Both exhibitions run through June 28. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-16 00:03:27