At Royal Palace in Seoul, an Expansive Art Exhibition With an Ambitious Agenda

By Andrew Russeth

Deoksugung Palace in Seoul has lived many lives. A residence for members of the royal family during the Joseon dynasty, it became a refuge for King Seonjo in the late 1500s after a Japanese invasion laid waste to nearby palaces. At the start of the 20th century, Emperor Gojong added a Western-style residence, and the sylvan grounds became a park a few years later, when Japan occupied the country.

Now Deoksugung is hosting a tightly curated art exhibition that is one prong of an ambitious new initiative called Art Plant Asia that aims to boost international recognition of Asia’s art world, with Seoul as a vital hub within it.

Sculptures by Suki Seokyeong Kang, at left; at right, paintings by Park Junghae. Courtesy Art Plant Asia

Putting together a show at a carefully protected historical location amid a pandemic “was a very challenging experience, but also an interesting one,” said Jang Hyejung, whose co-curator on the endeavor was Yoon Juliat. For “Hare Way Object,” the two have installed work by more than 30 Korean artists—from modernist giants like Lee Ufan and Kim Whanki to key younger figures like Suki Seokyeong Kang and Haegue Yang—in wooden corridors once used as storage or living quarters for court servants, as well as various pavilions and a small pond on the property...READ MORE

Cover Image: Lee Bul's Chiasma, 2005, in 'Hare Way Object' at Deoksugung Palace in Seoul. Courtesy Art Plant Asia