Patricia Piccinini: Kinship Exhibition at Suwon Museum of Art
[Reporter: Yoon Jae-yeol]
The Suwon Museum of Art will host the international exhibition "Patricia Piccinini: Kinship" from July 23 to November 1, 2026, at the main hall of Haenggung. This exhibition, supported by the Australian Embassy in Korea, marks Piccinini's first solo exhibition in a Korean art museum and is the largest of its kind in the country. It will showcase a total of 56 works, including hyper-realistic sculptures made from silicone, fiberglass, and human hair, alongside photographs, videos, installations, and archival materials.
The artist engages in a dialogue with the audience through her works. The piece "Doubting Thomas (2008)" evokes the image of a conversation between the artist and the viewer through the medium of art. It symbolically represents the viewer's approach to the artwork. A young boy gazes at a strange creature with a mixture of fear and curiosity, mirroring the initial reaction of a viewer encountering art for the first time. Here, the boy symbolizes the audience, while the strange creature represents the artwork.
Despite facing unfamiliar beings in the exhibition space, the boy finds it difficult to approach them. Are they monsters or humans? The use of silicone, fiberglass, and human hair creates a lifelike texture, wrinkles, and even individual hairs, making them appear human-like yet monstrous. What message is the artist trying to convey through such grotesque works?
The answer can be found in "Kindred (2018)." This piece highlights the resemblance between orangutans and humans. An orangutan warmly embraces a strange being that resembles a child, emphasizing the lack of distinction between humans and animals.
While observing these bizarre works, I reflected on the role of art. I realized that great art does not merely showcase beauty. Orangutans also fulfill caregiving roles similar to humans, challenging the prejudices and distorted perceptions that humans are superior to animals. It opens a new perspective on how we view the world.
In daily life, we often draw invisible lines between people simply due to differences. We tend to keep our distance out of unfamiliarity and judge rather than understand. Piccinini's artwork reflects this point without pretense.
The piece "Sanctuary (2018)" depicts two elderly bonobo figures embracing each other, which can also be interpreted in this context. At first glance, they may appear monstrous, but they are also sufficiently human-like. In front of this artwork, viewers easily recall love and intimacy. The description states, "An aged body can also love, care, and connect with others," highlighting the biases we hold regarding aging.
Imagination becomes art, and art connects relationships. The artist's imagination transcends reality to open new worlds. In "New Families (2002)," the work reveals human identity in pursuit of endless desires. The piece features a being that is part human and part animal, possibly representing families created through future biotechnology. They embrace each other warmly, reflecting our own reality. Through imaginative art, it evokes universal feelings of love.
The high ceilings of the exhibition space and the ample negative space around each work play a significant role in allowing viewers to fully embrace the artist's imagination. The lighting focused on the artworks further enhances the textures and expressions of the beings depicted. This setup encourages viewers to linger in front of the pieces, making eye contact with the strange creatures while slowly immersing themselves in the artist's imagination and expanding their narratives.
The "Shuform" series illustrates that the harmony between technology and nature offers important values that enrich human life and inspire new imaginations. Each work includes descriptions that help understand the artist's messages and imagination. The description of the "Shuform" series states that it navigates between objects, living beings, consumer goods, and organisms, suggesting a new imagination of life's meaning while proposing the beauty of a world where technology and nature are inseparable.
Ultimately, the "Shuform" series shows that the relationship between technology and nature is not one of opposition, but rather one of coexistence that complements each other's limitations. The harmony between technology and nature reminds us of the significant values that enrich human life and inspire new imaginations.
In the exhibition space, the moment I entered, I felt overwhelmed by the unfamiliar works. What message is the artist conveying? How should I understand these pieces? However, as time passed, these concerns naturally resolved themselves. The more I looked at the works, the more the unfamiliarity transformed into new perspectives and imaginations. The awkwardness faded, replaced by warmth. Memories deep within me awakened, and emotions I had not consciously recognized began to ripple outward. This feeling took root as seeds of new imagination. It was a time that enriched my life.
Patricia Piccinini is a world-renowned contemporary artist based in Melbourne, Australia. Through her imagined beings, she explores the meanings of life, technology, and care, deeply reflecting on the relationships between humans and non-humans, nature, and science.
"Patricia Piccinini: Kinship" extends the meaning of kinship beyond human-centered relationships to encompass the connections and responsibilities formed between different beings. This exhibition offers an opportunity to reconsider the relationships between humans and non-humans, nature and technology, family and others through the imagined beings created by the artist, providing new insights and questions regarding the ethical, environmental, and coexistence issues faced by modern society.
Source :https://blog.naver.com/gyeonggi_gov/224374943923
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