Gyre at the Korean Pavilion at the 59th International Art Exhibition–La Biennale di Venezia will present a series of interconnected and large-scale installations by artist Yunchul Kim, that will invite visitors into an alternative universe wherein objects, beings and nature co-exist. Seven installations, including three new works, on display will each work together like a breathing body, powered by invisible matter to decentralise anthropocentric perceptions of reality.

According to Kim, “in the infinite cycles of creation and extinction, the world and its matter constantly gyrates and descends. Gyre explores the world as a labyrinth where “mattereality” matters rather than materiality, embracing non-human objects and material reality.” This is the central theme of the Korean Pavilion’s exhibition, which permeates everything from energy to matter, life, and the universe.

The exhibition will reflect Kim’s transdisciplinary practice that spans art, literature, mythology, philosophy, and science. Gyre will be a swirling cosmic event in the Giardini that invites visitors on a journey into the world of materials, centred around three themes: The Swollen Suns, The Path of Gods, and The Great Outdoors.

The Swollen Suns refers to the dissolution of human-centric absolutism. It is also the name of a monumental installation Argos – the Swollen Suns (2022), consisting of glass tubes that will flash with light as it detects muon particles, making this invisible matter visible. Once detected, the signals are sent to a chandelier-shaped installation within the Pavilion, titled Impulse (2018), that pumps seawater sourced from Korea and Venice through hundreds of intertwined tubes surrounding the sculpture. Soundscapes of flowing seawater will fill the Pavilion, as the water reacts with the work’s aluminium body, creating a multi-sensory experience.

The Path of Gods is the literal translation of its traditional Chinese characters, defined as a nerve. A fifty-metre-long kinetic piece Chroma V (2022) in the centre of the Pavilion will pulsate and breathe as it receives signals from Argos – The Swollen Suns. This serpentine sculpture links all the artworks and the surrounding spaces together, resembling the central nerves connecting different parts of the body.

The Great Outdoors reflects the absolute reality that exists beyond perception. La Poussière de Soleils (2022) will be a living sculpture that merges the artificial and natural. It is made from a new material, created by Kim, that combines ground vermiculite and water to create a kaleidoscope of colour. Discreetly connected to devices, microcomputers and software, the installation will control the wavelength and conviction of light in relation to its own density. It draws inspiration from French poet Raymond Roussel’s play Dust of Suns.

Gyre is curated by Young-chul Lee and commissioned by Arts Council Korea, in partnership with Hyundai Motor Company. Arts Council Korea supports arts organisations and artists in Korea and overseas through programs, initiatives, support, and funding. Hyundai Motor Company, supporting art initiatives driven by long-term partnerships with global museums – the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA), Tate and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), has been continuing its partnership with the Korean Pavilion since 2015.

An accompanying catalogue for the exhibition is due to launch in September 2022.