The International Art Exhibition at La Biennale di Venezia.

A partnership between Korean artist Koo Jeong A and Dinesen

The Korean artist Koo Jeong A presents Odorama Cities at the Korean Pavilion for the 60th International Art Exhibition at La Biennale di Venezia. The Biennale Foundation annually hosts the international cultural exhibition in Venice, Italy, featuring art, architecture, cinema, dance, music, and theatre activities.

From 20 April to 24 November 2024, the Korean Pavilion is the setting of Odorama Cities, an exhibition delving into the nuances of our spatial encounters. It investigates how we perceive and recollect spaces, emphasising how scents, smells, and odours contribute to these memories.

The Korean artist Koo Jeong A, the exhibition's creator, wanted to portray the entire Korean peninsula, recollecting the country through the prism of scent.

 

 

 

Möbius Ring in Dinesen Oak / KOO JEONG A - ODORAMA CITIES, Korean Pavilion 2024, La Biennale di Venezia, Installation view, Courtesy of Pilar Corrias, London, and PKM Gallery, Seoul, Photo Mark Blower.

Infinity symbols engraved in Dinesen Layers Douglas / KOO JEONG A - ODORAMA CITIES, Korean Pavilion 2024, La Biennale di Venezia, Installation view, Courtesy of Pilar Corrias, London, and PKM Gallery, Seoul, Photo Mark Blower.

“Through wood, my feelings and emotions trigger new memories, and I find countless connections with its natural beauty and inherent strength that stand as a profound source of inspiration from natural analogy to its expansion.”

- Koo Jeong A

The Korean Pavilion / KOO JEONG A - ODORAMA CITIES, Korean Pavilion 2024, La Biennale di Venezia, Installation view, Courtesy of Pilar Corrias, London, and PKM Gallery, Seoul, Photo Mark Blower.

Infinity symbols in Dinesen Solid Douglas / KOO JEONG A - ODORAMA CITIES, Korean Pavilion 2024, La Biennale di Venezia, Installation view, Courtesy of Pilar Corrias, London, and PKM Gallery, Seoul, Photo Mark Blower.

Infinity symbols in Dinesen Solid Douglas / KOO JEONG A - ODORAMA CITIES, Korean Pavilion 2024, La Biennale di Venezia, Installation view, Courtesy of Pilar Corrias, London, and PKM Gallery, Seoul, Photo Mark Blower.

Koo explored an expanded tactility inside the pavilion through immaterialism, weightlessness, endlessness, and levitation. To showcase the work, Koo installed a new Douglas floor in the pavilion in partnership with Dinesen, embedding and engraving infinity symbols directly into the wooden surface. These symbols emerge from the floor and form two Möbius rings crafted entirely from Dinesen Oak. By its very nature, wood retains memories and scents that permeate its surroundings. Koo's innovative approach elevates the Dinesen floor into a work of art. Together with a levitating, scent-diffusing bronze figure, they symbolise the scents, transforming the pavilion into a sprawling collection of olfactory memories.

 

 

Möbius Ring in Dinesen Oak / KOO JEONG A - ODORAMA CITIES, Korean Pavilion 2024, La Biennale di Venezia, Installation view, Courtesy of Pilar Corrias, London, and PKM Gallery, Seoul, Photo Mark Blower.

“Koo’s unique and captivating minimalist approach embodies a rare ability to transform spaces with subtle yet profound gestures.”

— Hans Peter Dinesen

The Korean Pavilion / KOO JEONG A - ODORAMA CITIES, Korean Pavilion 2024, La Biennale di Venezia, Installation view, Courtesy of Pilar Corrias, London, and PKM Gallery, Seoul, Photo Mark Blower.

The Korean Pavilion / KOO JEONG A - ODORAMA CITIES, Korean Pavilion 2024, La Biennale di Venezia, Installation view, Courtesy of Pilar Corrias, London, and PKM Gallery, Seoul, Photo Mark Blower.

The Korean Pavilion showcases the transformative power of wood, creating a tranquil yet dynamic atmosphere that inspires.

Experience the harmonious interplay of Koo Jeong A's artistic vision and Dinesen's wood at the 60th International Art Exhibition at La Biennale di Venezia from 20 April to 24 November 2024.

Plan your visit to The Korean Pavillion here.

 

Credits: KOO JEONG A - ODORAMA CITIES, Korean Pavilion 2024, La Biennale di Venezia, Installation view, Courtesy of Pilar Corrias, London, and PKM Gallery, Seoul, Photo Mark Blower, Curated by Seolhui Lee & Jacob Fabricius.

 

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