The Embassy of the Netherlands in South Korea has invited media arts institute LI-MA to curate the Netherlands Pavilion at the 15th Gwangju Biennale. The exhibition at the pavilion will feature two video works by the Dutch artist duo Persijn Broersen and Margit Lukács. LI-MA previously organized a series of lectures on Dutch media art for the 2018 edition of NEMAF Festival in Seoul at the Embassy's request.
LI-MA curator Sanneke Huisman and distributor Theus Zwakhals are organizing the exhibition. The show's title, Two Songs, was inspired by the theme of this year's biennale, which is titled PANSORI: A Soundscape of the 21st Century, after a musical genre originating in 17th century Korea.
Two Songs will feature the duo's most recent work: I Wan'na Be Like You (2024) and Forest on Location (2019). Both of these video installations explore the topic of “wilderness” as it is perceived in the Western cultural matrix, but deconstructed through a detailed digital recreation done using photogrammetry and 3D modelling. Skirting the edge between the sharpness of photographic realism and the virtual/imaginary world, nature is depicted as able to break the shackles imposed on it by humanity.
LI-MA is an art institution that is primarily engaged with the curation and conservation of media and digital art. It maintains an extensive collection that encompasses over 60 years of media art in the Netherlands. Persijn Broersen and Margit Lukács live and work in Amsterdam, where they produce a wide variety of media that reflect on the ornamental characteristics of contemporary society. The artists are represented by the gallery AKINCI. Two Songs will be on display at the Biennale from September 7 to December 1, 2024. For more about the artists and works exhibited at the 15th Gwangju Biennale check the official site.