Seoul: Australia-born sculptor Ron Mueck is bringing his hyper-realistic sculptures to Asia for the first time, with the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) in Seoul set to open a retrospective exhibition on Friday. The exhibition highlights Mueck's meticulous artistry, featuring 24 pieces from his relatively small body of work, which spans over three decades and comprises just 48 sculptures.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the MMCA's exhibition, in collaboration with the Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Art, is noteworthy for including pieces that have never traveled overseas before, such as "chicken / man." A significant feature of the exhibition is the installation "Mass," which consists of 100 large-scale resin human skulls. This piece, which took two months to be shipped to Korea, will be displayed vertically for the first time, taking advantage of MMCA's unique architectural features.
Chiara Agradi, curator at the Cartier Foundation, emphasized the importance of the venue's spatial characteristics, stating that MMCA's high ceilings allowed a novel presentation of "Mass," encouraging rethinking of the installation. The museum describes "Mass" as the exhibition's "highlight," marking a pivotal moment in Mueck's career as he explores new methods to engage audiences with his work.
The MMCA anticipates that the exhibition will provide a deeply immersive experience, inviting visitors to engage with their emotions and personal responses to Mueck's evocative sculptures, which are known for their scale, being either smaller or larger than life. Charles Clarke, curator at Ron Mueck's studio in Britain, explained that Mueck's work seeks to connect with characters, allowing viewers to contemplate and interpret the art in their own way, without a prescribed message.
Clarke further noted that each viewer's interpretation will vary based on their own sensitivities, and that Mueck's approach is intentionally open and ambiguous, avoiding any attempt to preach or provide literal explanations. The exhibition also features two films and a series of photographs by French photographer and filmmaker Gautier Deblonde, offering insights into Mueck's creative process.
The MMCA quoted Mueck, who was unable to attend the opening event, as saying, "Although I spend a lot of time on the surface, it's the life inside I want to capture." The exhibition will be open to the public from April 11 to July 13.