Ahn Kyuchul: Invisible Land of Love

Ahn Kyuchul’s MMCA Hyundai Motor Series exhibition, Invisible Land of Love, brought together eight works across different genres and media, including literature, architecture, music, video, performance, and publication. Taking its title from a poem by contemporary Korean poet Ma Jong-Gi, the exhibition was Ahn’s invitation to journey to the “land of love.” Rather than fill the gallery with high-production objects, Ahn chose instead to leave space for the visitors to activate the gallery and reflect on the potential for love. “Is there such a thing as a world filled with love?,” Ahn asks. “If not, where can we find it?”

The goldfish and potted plants that were on view as Nine Goldfish and Time of Plants II, for instance, represented isolation and disconnection in hopes of encouraging the audience to consider ways isolated people may meet and connect with one another. Visitors were also invited to participate more actively in a few works, by writing a few words about something they miss on the Wall of Memories or transcribing parts of Franz Kafka’s Castle and Ismai I Kadare’s Casa del Libro by hand for 1,000 Scribes.

Ahn Kyuchul (born in Seoul, Korea, in 1955) is an artist, writer, and teacher best known for his conceptual practice that considers the relationships between humans, symbols and objects. His practice also deals with the potential for contemporary art within social systems. Ahn often works with quotidian objects like tables and doors, leaving his sculptures in a state of flux to emphasize the need for action. His work is included in public and private collections including the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea and the Nam June Paik Art Centre, both in Seoul. Ahn has had recent solo exhibitions at Kukje Gallery, Busan (2021); Kukje Gallery, Seoul (2017); Gallery Skape, Seoul (2013); and Bongsan Cultural Center, Daegu (2013).