PKM Gallery is proud to present a viewing room of works by Koo Jeong A, accompanying the solo exhibition 2O2O, that is on view from 30 September to 28 November 2020 throughout the premises of PKM and PKM+. 2O2O marks Koo’s first solo exhibition to be held at a Korean gallery. The viewing room showcases a selection of 30 latest works by Koo, including paintings, drawings, sculptures, and an outdoor skatepark installation. Through the viewing room, PKM gallery aims to give a glimpse into the wonders of discovering another space beyond our familiar world.

Since the late 1990s, with a belief that ‘nothing is merely ordinary,’ Koo has been incorporating ephemeral everyday objects in her works to whimsically interfere in familiar spaces to highlight the poetic aspect of the mundaneness. Composed of disparate mediums—ranging from still and moving images, sound, to smell—Koo’s artworks allow the co-existence of contrasting states such as visibility and invisibility, the imaginary and actuality, and the existence and nonexistence, thus providing possibilities beyond their boundaries.

2O2O, the title of the exhibition, which can be identified as digits and alphabets as well as a text and a drawing, is related to the phosphorescent skatepark installation at the exhibition entitled “resonance.” Koo’s skatepark installation was first erected on Vassivière Island in 2012 as a project to revitalize the area and to reach out to the younger audience. For her exhibition at PKM, a new skatepark in the shape of big and small cradles is presented at the garden of PKM+. Both an artwork and a facility open to skateboarders, the skatepark installation provides an interactive experience as it bridges between a subculture—skateboard culture—and mainstream culture—fine arts.

Following its first presentation in 2012, Koo Jeong A’s glow-in-the-dark skatepark installation has attracted immense attention at diverse international events. In 2015, "Evertro" was installed at the Everton Park in Liverpool with a commission from Liverpool Biennale and Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson. In 2016, "ARROGATION" was built in accordance with the Sao Paulo Biennale, and in 2019 she created an indoor skatepark installation titled "OooOoO" as part of the Play! project at Milano Triennale. In the same year, Koo was selected as one of the world's most inspiring people of 2019 by OOOM Magazine. 

“Seven Stars,” a luminous painting series that reminds of the stars in the deepening autumn sky, evokes the notion of parallel universe as it appears differently in the light and dark with its infinite presence defined by the condition and duration of the projected light. These two-dimensional canvases that appear as minimalist paintings under the light, create an illusion of a three-dimensional outer space filled with bright starlight once the light is gone.

The physical and psychological interplay between the artworks and viewers is an important element in Koo Jeong A’s art practice. In producing magnet sculptures, Koo has been deeply interested in the theory of Magnets by Cedric Price (1934-2003). Cedric Price likened the idea of an open building that can adapt to the changing needs of the users to the attracting and repelling property of a magnet. The titles of the magnetic sculptures presented at the show—"88,” “518,” “625,” “911”—are named after significant dates in history. The sculptures, with the titles indicating the shape or the number of magnet units each constitutes, can vary in shapes depending on the location of installation.

Please enjoy below the VR exhibition(to be updated) and the exhibition video made in conjunction with the online viewing room. Together with the VR exhibition, the video made in collaboration with DJ Soulscape as the sound designer aims to help the audience better appreciate Koo's artworks and her artistic practice.