National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, Presents "Ron Mueck"
Retrospective Runs Until July 13
Showcasing 24 Major Works Spanning Over 30 Years
"Mass" Fills the Gallery with 100 Skull Forms
An exhibition of Ron Mueck, well known for his hyperrealistic sculptures, is being held at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, the largest in Asia, until July 13. It covers major works from the 1990s to recent times. A total of about 24 pieces, including sculptures, photographs, and videos, are displayed across three exhibition halls on the 5th, 6th floors, and basement.
On the 10th, the artwork "Mass" was exhibited at the "Ron Mueck" exhibition held at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News
The highlight of this exhibition is "Mass" (2016?2017). It is a work consisting of 100 large skull forms stacked on top of each other, commissioned by the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne in 2017. Ron Mueck was inspired by a visit to an underground cemetery in Paris, France, where he saw a high pile of human bones spilling down. Unlike previous exhibitions in Australia and France, the installation at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, was adapted to the spatial environment of the exhibition hall, portraying the piled skulls as if they are cascading down. The narrow width, high ceiling, and windows facing outside at the top of the exhibition hall evoke the atmosphere of an underground cemetery. The sculpture is so large that it was transported by ship from Australia and took two weeks to install.
Ron Mueck does not offer a single interpretation of the grotesque scene created by "Mass." Charlie Clarke, curator at Ron Mueck Studio participating in this exhibition, said, "Ron Mueck does not intend to preach through his work but wants to create a space for contemplation and appreciation," adding, "Visitors can appreciate it with an open mind and derive various meanings."
"Chicken/Man" is being exhibited overseas for the first time outside New Zealand. The image of an old man facing a chicken on the dining table creates a peculiar tension, and this work also encourages viewers to interpret it individually without much explanation. It is presumed to carry a message of consolation as it was created to commemorate the healing period when an art gallery in Christchurch, New Zealand, which had been closed for five years after a major earthquake in 2011, reopened. Curator Charlie explained, "This work had never been exhibited outside New Zealand before, so it was rare to see it in an overseas exhibition, and it is quite an extraordinary sight to present it alongside other works by Ron Mueck."
The sizes of Ron Mueck’s works are either larger or smaller than actual people. This is intended to evoke a feeling of being placed in a different dimension, detached from reality. Hong Iji, a curator at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, explained, "Ron Mueck valued the connection between the viewer and the people around them through the work more than the situation of the model in the piece." Curator Charlie added, "The lack of distinct facial expressions in the works is because Ron Mueck wants each viewer to empathize with the work in their own unique way."
To fully enjoy the exhibition, it is necessary to look at the back of the works. Unlike the realistic front, "Mask II" is made with an empty space at the back, conveying a sense of a face as a shell devoid of self-awareness. "Young Lovers," depicting teenage lovers, also evokes various emotions and memories as the man holds the woman’s arm behind his back.
Born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1958 and active in the UK since 1986, Ron Mueck has showcased hyperrealistic techniques. His vivid works offer viewers a chance to look inside themselves and confront a portrait of the times. His work undergoes a painstaking process lasting from months to years, which can be interpreted as a kind of "resistance to the times" amid rapidly changing contemporary trends.
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