Two curators to lead Korean pavilion at Venice Art Biennale

Danish artistic director Jacob Fabricius and Korean curator Lee Seolhui have been appointed to curate the Korean pavilion for the 60th edition of the Venice Art Biennale next year, according to Arts Council Korea (ARKO), the commission responsible for operating the pavilion.

This is the first time for the national pavilion, which was established in 1995, to be jointly represented by two curators at the international art biennale in Venice, Italy.

Fabricius and Lee are set to present the theme of “Odorama Cities” by transforming the entirety of the pavilion’s cylindrical steel building into an immersive, scent-centric environment. Pieces with distinct aromas that represent Korea’s different cities will be installed throughout the structure to take the visitors on a “Korean scent journey.”

The exhibition will feature Koo Jeong-a as the main artist, whose site-specific works are known for reinventing the given architectural space and conjuring up subjective memories often through invisible elements such as scent, sound and temperature.

Currently taking the helm of Art Hub Copenhagen as its director, Fabricius served as the artistic director of the Danish contemporary arts center Kunsthal Aarhus until 2021. He also led the Busan Biennale 2020 entitled, “Words at an Exhibition: an exhibition in ten chapters and five poems.”

Lee is a curator at Kunsthal Aarhus and a lecturer at Kaywon University of Art and Design in Gyeonggi Province. She was previously the head of the exhibition team for the Busan Biennale 2020 and served as the curator of the Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA) from 2018 to 2019.

Dubbed the “Olympics of the art world,” the Venice Biennale has been one of the most prestigious and longest-running cultural exhibitions since it was founded in 1895. In addition to its flagship show, the International Art Exhibition, some 80 national pavilions showcase a wide range of contemporary works that are curated by each country’s appointed artistic director.

The 60th International Art Exhibition, set to run from April 20 to Nov. 24, 2024, will be curated by Adriano Pedrosa, artistic director of Museu de Arte de Sao Paulo Assis Chateaubriand (MASP) in Brazil.