The Korea Foundation (KF) presents the special exhibition Meta City: Seoul–Paris at the KF XR Gallery in celebration of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Honoring the universal human values promoted by the international event, this exhibition posits itself a transcendental (meta-) platform mediating the communication between Seoul and Paris, two host cities of the Olympic Games. The exhibition is comprised of immersive and media artworks that explore the transnational and trans-spatial communication and exchange between Korea and France.
Presenting virtual realities that transcend physical boundaries, the site-specific works offer a heightened understanding of each country’s relationship with the venues featured and the perspective on virtual spaces, thereby promoting exchange between Seoul and Paris—and between Korea and France at large—and proposing a peace- and future-oriented vision for global citizens.
Featured works by Korean artists Nam June Paik and Kwon Hayoun and French artist Miguel Chevalier, each a visionary of their respective generations, hint at the artists’ affection and respect for the other’s country. The digital and virtual realities presented by the works invite viewers into the beautiful, transcendental worlds constructed as a result of the profound connection between Korea and France.
Among works by Paik, whose oeuvre includes the monumental work The More, The Better, produced in commemoration of the 1988 Seoul Olympics, this exhibition features a video installation commissioned by the Seoul Olympic Museum of Art and inspired by Pierre de Coubertin, the French founder of the modern-day Olympic Games.
Also presented at the KF XR Gallery for the first time is a new work by Chevalier, an internationally renowned French media artist, highlighting the urbanity of Seoul based on his past few years of experience working in the city. Meanwhile, Kwon presents a virtual reality (VR) work reconstructing her French mentor’s memory of a distinct place in Paris, inviting viewers to complete the space and generate new meanings.
Additional works that hint at Korea and France’s contemporary perspectives on virtual spaces are presented in cooperation with the Culture Department of the Ambassade de France en République de Corée, the Institut Français de Corée du Sud, and the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture.
Among them, the VR works Gloomy Eyes, narrated by actor Colin Pharrell, and Inside Dream by the Korean artist duo ROOMTONE offer experiences of transcendental virtual spaces on the border of fantasy and reality. The surreal worlds, rendered more vividly than reality, expand viewers’ scope of perception and imagination of the unknown world.
With the global task of environmental sustainability as its theme, the International Olympic Committee has decided to take advantage of historical sites and existing architecture in Paris as event venues for this year’s games.
In support of this initiative, the exhibition presents VR and interactive content through which viewers can virtually visit key Olympic venues in Paris. By eliminating the physical distance between Seoul and Paris, the experience provides a heightened sense of transnational connection and exchange. Source by Miguel Chevalier.
- Location: Seoul, South Korea
- Artist: Miguel Chevalier
- Project Team: Nam June Paik, Kwon Hayoun, ROOMTONE, Miguel Chevalier, Jorge Tereso & Fernando Maldonado, Raphaël Beaugrand, Vincent Ravalec
- At: Group show at KF XR Gallery
- Date: April 26, 2024 – September 07, 2024
- Photographs: Kim Jaeki, Courtesy of Korea Foundation