Opening Ceremony of the Korean Pavilion at the Venice Biennale Architecture Exhibition on May 9
Venice Biennale Opens on May 10
Reflecting on 30 Years of the Korean Pavilion
Expressing Coexistence Among National Pavilions
"Dukkeopa Dukkeopa / I’ll give you an old house / Give me a new house"
This year, the Korean Pavilion at the Venice Biennale International Architecture Exhibition will open on May 9 under the theme "Dukkeopa Dukkeopa: The Time of the House."
Venice Biennale Architecture Exhibition Korea Pavilion Poster. Provided by Korea Arts & Culture Education Service
On the 17th, the Arts Council Korea held a press conference at the Arko Art Center in Daehangno, Seoul, unveiling the exhibition plan for the Korean Pavilion at the 19th Venice Biennale International Architecture Exhibition in 2025. Curator Jeong Da-young introduced, "This exhibition, which uses the traditional children’s song ‘Dukkeopa Dukkeopa’ as a metaphorical framework, views the Korean Pavilion not as a simple ‘white cube’ but as an organism imbued with multilayered meanings, symbolizing regeneration and change as represented by the toad. It will highlight the vitality inherent in the pavilion itself." The term white cube refers to an art exhibition space that is closed off on all sides except for the entrance.
On the afternoon of the 17th, at the Arko Art Center in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Jeong Seong-gyu, the artistic director, is introducing the artists at the press conference for the 2025 Venice Biennale 19th International Architecture Exhibition Korea Pavilion exhibition "Dukkeopa Dukkeopa: Time of the House." Photo by Yonhap News
This year’s architecture exhibition features the youngest-ever artistic directors and artists in their 30s and 40s. The planning collective CAC (Jeong Da-young, Kim Hee-jung, Jeong Seong-gyu), serving as the artistic directors of the Korean Pavilion, will collaborate with participating artists Kim Hyun-jong (Atelier KHJ), Park Hee-chan (Studio Hitch), Yang Ye-na (Plastique Fantastique), and Lee Da-mi (Flora & Fauna) to curate the pavilion.
The Korean Pavilion was installed in 1995 as the 26th and final national pavilion in the Giardini area of the Venice Biennale. However, with the introduction of the Qatar Pavilion this year, it will no longer hold the title of the last national pavilion. Located between the Japan Pavilion and the Germany Pavilion, the Korean Pavilion was co-designed by the late architect Kim Seok-cheol and Italian architect Franco Mancuso. Unlike other national pavilion buildings, which are white cube exhibition spaces, the Korean Pavilion consists of an irregular glass building with a steel frame structure. Following guidelines at the time of construction to avoid damaging the trees on the site, the pavilion features a unique design that allows viewing the trees within the grounds from inside the building.
This year, the Korean Pavilion reflects on its 30-year history while proposing the possibility of coexistence through collective responses by multiple countries to global crises such as the climate emergency. The pavilion introduces its 30-year history by displaying basic information like the architect’s name and completion date on plaques, while focusing on new narratives highlighted by four artists.
Participants of the Venice Biennale Architecture Exhibition. From the top left clockwise: Kim Hyunjong, Park Heechan, Lee Dami, Yang Yena. Provided by the Korea Arts & Culture Education Service
Artist Lee Da-mi emphasizes the meaning of coexistence by featuring various beings, including Luca the cat who has settled near the Korean Pavilion. Artist Yang Ye-na summons an imaginary guardian spirit of the earth buried underground millions of years ago, attempting to resonate with primordial time.
Artist Park Hee-chan devised an architectural device that responds to trees, drawing attention to the unchanging presence of trees among the many visitors to the Biennale each year. This also underscores the significance of trees as a shared physical context for all national pavilions, including the Korean Pavilion. Artist Kim Hyun-jong created a sculptural piece on the rooftop?a space often overlooked by other pavilions?that spreads its sails toward the sea, symbolizing that all national pavilions share the same sky and sea.
The official opening ceremony of the Korean Pavilion will be held at 2 p.m. local time on May 9, one day before the Venice Biennale Architecture Exhibition opens. On the opening day, an architectural forum exploring the historical significance of the Korean Pavilion will also take place. Participants include co-designer Franco Mancuso, as well as architects Jo Min-seok and Kim Jong-sung, who served as commissioners of the Korean Pavilion in the 2014 Architecture Exhibition and received the Golden Lion award.
This year’s Venice Biennale, held biennially alternating with the Art Exhibition, will open on May 10 and continue for about six months until November 23.
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