Stepping into the expansive, light-filled spaces of Sunhyewon, a traditional Korean house or hanok located in Seoul's historic Samcheong-dong district, visitors are immediately transported into an otherworldly experience that feels like walking on clouds. The breathtaking site-specific installation creates a dreamlike atmosphere through strategically placed reflective surfaces that mirror the wooden ceiling, effectively blurring the boundaries between the venue's architectural elegance and its natural surroundings.
This extraordinary sensory experience evokes the disorienting sensation of standing on Bolivia's famous Uyuni Salt Flats, a natural wonder often described as the place where heaven and earth become one. The installation serves as the centerpiece of "Kimsooja, To Breathe -- Sunhyewon," marking the internationally acclaimed artist's first solo exhibition in her homeland in a full decade.
Kimsooja, now 68 years old and born in 1957 in the southeastern city of Daegu, has built her reputation primarily on her groundbreaking "Bottari" installation series, which she launched in 1992. These compelling works feature carefully arranged bundles of used clothing wrapped in traditional Korean fabric, through which she masterfully explores complex themes of migration, memory, and the human experience on both deeply personal and broadly social levels.
Speaking at a press conference held at the hanok, which formerly served as the private residence of the SK Group's founding family, the artist explained the conceptual connections between the 11 pieces on display and her career-defining Bottari series. "This installation can be seen as an architectural interpretation of the Bottari," she stated. "By installing mirrors on the floor, the space itself is regarded as a kind of Bottari -- another form of Bottari, in fact, one that the audience can interact with."
The artist revealed her longstanding desire to create work within a traditional Korean hanok setting, describing the moment of inspiration that led to this particular installation. "As soon as I opened the door of Gyeongheunggak, I immediately knew I had to do the mirror installation there," she said, referring to the specific building within the Sunhyewon compound. "I had no other choice but to do it, and the end result is what you see today."
For this special exhibition, Kimsooja has also presented "Deductive Object -- Bottari," a series inspired by the iconic Korean white porcelain Moon Jar from the Joseon Dynasty period (1392-1910). "I wanted to reinterpret the Moon Jar in the concept of my Bottari series," she explained. "I see the connection between the two." Unlike traditional functional jars designed to hold contents, her conceptual pieces are deliberately unable to contain anything within, serving instead as meditative objects that challenge conventional notions of utility and purpose.
The challenging creative process of reinterpreting these historically significant vessels within her own Bottari conceptual framework served as a reminder of the core philosophical ideas that have driven her artistic practice from its very beginning. This connection to Korean cultural heritage while maintaining her contemporary artistic vision demonstrates the depth of her evolving practice.
After studying painting at Seoul's prestigious Hongik University, Kimsooja expanded her artistic practice to encompass performance, installation, video, and sound art, creating works that have become renowned worldwide for their deeply meditative quality and universal appeal. Her artistic evolution reflects a commitment to exploring themes of displacement, identity, and human connection through various media.
Among her most celebrated works is the "Needle Woman" video series, which features the artist standing perfectly still in bustling cities around the world. In these powerful pieces, she uses her own body as a silent, motionless presence within chaotic urban environments, creating a meditative inquiry into stillness, displacement, and the universal human experience of connectivity across cultures and borders.
Kimsooja has established herself as a significant presence in the international art world through her active participation in major exhibitions and biennials, including the prestigious Venice Biennale, Documenta 11, and the Whitney Biennial. Her work has been featured in major solo exhibitions at some of the world's most important cultural institutions, including London's Tate Modern, Centre Pompidou in Paris, and New York's Guggenheim Museum.
"Kimsooja, To Breathe -- Sunhyewon," organized and presented by SK Group's Podo Museum, is scheduled to open to the public on Wednesday and will run through October 19, offering visitors a rare opportunity to experience the artist's transformative work within the historically significant setting of a traditional Korean hanok.
