The exhibition ≪Scenery of the Emptiness, and Asia≫ seeks to expand the terrain of the world’s re-imagination of Asia by exploring thoughts, aesthetics, and spaces unique to the global region. Influenced by Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, East Asian culture is founded on the holistic view that all worldly elements are interconnected in a cycle. East Asian formative principles also stem from the same idea. As such, Koreans have deemed not only form but also the style and sentiment derived from form aesthetic elements. Asians have conjured up imagery based on the imaginations sparked by form and filled the empty spaces uncovered by form with derivative sensibilities and fantasies to create an ultimate aesthetic. The East Asian school of thought, which emphasized relational harmony, served as the basis for linking the universe with the thread of imagination to complete a profound aesthetic. In this sense, it has been imagination that has integrated and transcended reality to create alternate and new forms of reality.

The exhibition is comprised of five themed sections : “From the Light,” which opens up the exhibition by exploring light as a nascent form of nature and a source of all creation; “Vibrant Energy,” which visualizes the ki (氣) inherent in all life forms; “Human Spirit and Nature,” which discusses the connection, communion, and symbiosis between humans and nature; “Coexisting Scenery: Inside and Outside Views,” which explores Asia as the source of the holistic worldview and a geological space that emphasizes human connection to nature; and “Breathing Garden,” which wraps up the exhibition by guiding the viewers into a meditative space. The creative works that make up each theme resemble certain images from both the past and the present, but the common message they share is that everything is interlinked and circulated. Since yore, Koreans have sought to become one with nature by fostering gardens in the empty yards around their residence. These empty spaces have served as subjects of enjoyment and discussion, allowing a re-perception of the world. ≪Scenery of the Emptiness, and Asia≫ invites visitors to befriend and contemplate the creative works that trigger new imaginations as they re-envision Asia and the world beyond.

Hwayong Jung, A.A. Murakami, Kohui, Hitoshi Kuriyama, Jung Sungyoon, Jean-Julien Pous, Ryoichi Kurokawa, Jiyen Lee, Bongchull Shin, Dongjoo Seo, Ryota Kuwakubo, Yong Ju Lee, Kyoko Hamaguchi, Hou I Ting, Pia Männikkö, Bongkwan Kim

The “light” is the original state of nature. It exists but cannot be possessed. In traditional Asian ideas, the universe, nature, and large mountains are regarded as organic lives, and the light is seen as the source of lives. The light is a manifestation of nature, and it can create extraordinary images by harmonizing all things in the universe.

The “light” disperses into a collection of energy with different forms and sizes. Although differentiating between the origin and extinction of light is difficult, the Ki (氣), “the vital life force” energy that flows through everything according to the East Asian cultural sphere, is considered the essence of all things that surround us. Energy can be seen as both material and spiritual. Nature and humans interact through creation and extinction in the connected order of all things in the universe.

Human beings live through interactions and are in constant communication with the state of nature and its changes. This concept of the relationship between nature and human beings derives from the distinct ideas of Asian philosophy, which interacts with nature spiritually without confrontation or disturbance.

The concept of “space” in Asian philosophy is an important element that connects nature and humans. It distinguishes one from the other, but it can also connect them with each other. The boundaries between inside and outside can break down, but views of the two can also harmoniously join. The overlapping visual landscape created by human beings and nature serves as a space that contains latent meaning.

This space invites the visitor to physically rest and relax. Through meditation and contemplation in nature, new thoughts arise, and after these thoughts have been put in order, ideas are formed. Like a walk in the garden under the night sky, this space offers the visitor time to regain and recharge their energy. This tranquil garden shows the organic relationship between natural elements that slowly changes over time.