[Gallery Walk] Reflecting on the 'Cycle of Life and Death' in the Space of Light

Ugo Rondinone Solo Exhibition 'Burn to Shine'
Until September 18, Museum SAN, Wonju, Gangwon-do

"Stone is a repeatedly appearing material and symbol in my work. Regardless of whether seeing is a physical phenomenon or a metaphysical one, I create sculptures about what it feels like and what it means."

Baek Nam-june Gallery_Yellow and Red Monks
Photo courtesy of Museum SAN

Museum SAN is hosting the largest solo exhibition in Korea by Swiss contemporary artist Ugo Rondinone (60), titled 'Burn to Shine.'

This exhibition showcases about 40 works, ranging from the artist's representative 'Nun and Monk' series sculptures to over 2,000 drawings created in collaboration with around 1,000 children aged 3 to 12 living in Wonju. Through more than 30 years of artistic activity, the exhibition addresses themes the artist has continuously reflected on: the cycle of life and nature, the relationship between humans and nature, and the human existence and experience formed through this.

The artist said, "Museum SAN was the most ideal place to exhibit my work because I can see nature every day without the noise of the city," adding, "This museum, designed by Tadao Ando, was overwhelming, and preparing to exhibit my works inside such a strong and solid architectural structure was a challenge for me."

The most eye-catching work in the exhibition is the video 'Burn to Shine' (2022). Inspired by the late lover John Giorno's poem 'Burn to Shine,' the work conveys the message that, as the title says, "to shine, one must burn." The video, created in collaboration with French-Moroccan choreographer Fouad Boussouf, was filmed over four days in the Moroccan desert in the summer of 2020. It combines traditional rituals from the Maghreb region of Africa with contemporary dance. The video captures 12 percussionists and 18 dancers dancing around a bonfire for about 10 minutes.

The Matituk painting series and the horse series are on display.
[Photo by Museum SAN]

The artist introduced the work, saying, "I conceived and produced the video during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, everyone was reborn. Filming started every day at sunset and continued until sunrise. Through this, I wanted to show the cycle of life."

The artist's thematic consciousness about the cycle of life continues in the 'Mattituck' painting series. Connecting the concepts of time and space with the cycle of life, the title of each work represents the completion date, and he explained that he created the space through the images. Working in the simplest way possible, he said he took time for self-reflection.

The monk sculptures in the Nam June Paik Pavilion create a mystical atmosphere with light coming through the circular glass ceiling, and six bronze 'Nun and Monk' sculptures in the outdoor Stone Garden harmonize with nature to present a new landscape. Regarding the monk series, the artist said, "Stone is a repeatedly appearing material and symbol in my work. It started as an attempt to explore and appreciate natural stone as an object of beauty and contemplation," adding, "This allows viewers to experience a very private and meditative visual experience where the boundary between the outside world and the inner world dissolves."

Sunrise scene from the video 'Burn to Sign'.
[Photo provided by Museum SAN]

Video 'Burn to Sign'.
[Photo provided by Museum SAN]

The contemplation of cycles is also evident in the drawing works created in collaboration with children from the Wonju area. The two projects, 'Your Age, My Age, and the Age of the Sun' (2013?present) and 'Your Age, My Age, and the Age of the Moon' (2020?present), symbolize the sun and the moon and respond to each other in harmony and dissonance. The design of the exhibition wall, which requires visitors to squat like children and touch the floor to enter inside, is also impressive. In the works involving about 1,000 children aged 5 to 12 from Wonju City, 2,000 drawings created by the children will be collected and accumulated by the artist after the exhibition ends, evolving further.

The artist explained, "Children are the future." He emphasized, "I enjoyed the process of collaborating with children, and it is the role of the museum to allow children to come comfortably and enjoy the process of creating works together." The exhibition runs until September 18.