Rafael Lozano-Hemmer : Decision Forest

Unveiling its brand-new exhibition space inside the new corporate headquarters of Amorepacific Corporation in Yongsan, Amorepacific Museum of Art (APMA) proudly presents its opening exhibition, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer: Decision Forest. Since the early 1990s, the Mexican-Canadian media artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer has been dazzling people around the world with his enormous interactive installations in public spaces.

This will be Lozano-Hemmer’s first solo exhibition in Korea and his first retrospective exhibition in Asia, encompassing early works such as Surface Tension (1992) to his latest creations, which will be presented for the first time. This event has special significance for Korean audiences, who have rarely had the chance to experience an exhibition of interactive media on such a large scale. A total of 29 of Lozano-Hemmer’s works (representing 24 of his major projects) have been newly programmed to inhabit various exhibition spaces in the building (designed by David Chipperfield), including the Atrium, the museum lobby, and six galleries in the basement level.

From kinetic sculptures to biometric installations, from interactive well to digital sound environments, all of the exhibited works employ cutting-edge technological advancements in virtual reality, nanotechnology, and other areas to provide an array of unforgettable experiences. In addition to themes from literature and philosophy, Lozano-Hemmer’s art often addresses the ubiquity of news, media, and surveillance, sometimes by incorporating one-way mirrors or CCTV. Using people’s bodies and movements as a direct interface, his works may respond to faces, voices, heartbeats, or the distance between people.

Decision Forest is a term from computing and data science. In this exhibition, it refers to the numeric values generated by visitors’ choices and interactions, but also alludes to other concepts, such as the uncontrollable nature of the public, our partial processes of perception, and the creativity that may emerge from uncertain or undefined space. Notably, all of the exhibited works exist as variable situations or conditions that depend entirely upon the visitors’ decision to participate and level of participation. Indeed, the true genius of Rafael Lozano-Hemmer’s art is to provide a platform for interaction, through which each person becomes the protagonist capable of creating her or his own unique experience.

With such an unprecedented collection of innovative and interactive artworks, Decision Forest is sure to provide visitors with a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Through this inaugural exhibition, Amorepacific Museum of Art confirms its intention to be a museum for the public, presenting artworks and experiences that embody the warm spirit of communication, cooperation, and affection.

Curated by Kyoungran Kim
 

About APMA
Amorepacific Museum of Art (APMA) originated with the private art collection of Suh Sung-whan, the founder and former CEO of the Amorepacific Corporation. After being established as the Pacific Museum in 1979, the institute was renamed the Amorepacific Museum of Art in 2009. Boasting a collection of both traditional and contemporary art, APMA continuously engages in a wide range of cultural activities related to exhibition, research, publication, and more. The year 2018 marks the dawn of a new era for APMA, unveiling the facility inside the new corporate headquarters of Amorepacific in Yongsan, Seoul. The newly completed museum contains a multitude of spaces where artists and visitors can freely communicate through art. The galleries in the basement level will host diverse special exhibitions of both Korean and international art, ranging from traditional to contemporary. The expansive “Atrium,” an open court extending from the first to the third floor, is designed specifically as a welcoming space for the local community. On the first floor of the Atrium, visitors are greeted by the lobby and the museum shop, as well as the exhibition space “APMA Cabinet.” In the “apLAP(amorepacific Library of Art Project),” visitors will find an extensive archive of exhibition catalogues from around the world, allowing them to freely explore the flow of global art trends. The exhibition space of APMA spreads beyond the interior walls and into the surrounding park and roof garden, where artworks by major international artists such as Olafur Eliasson and Leo Villareal are presented to the public. The new headquarters building of Amorepacific was designed by the acclaimed British architect David Chipperfield. His stunning design of the Amorepacific headquarters was inspired by white porcelain “moon jars”—the quintessential ceramic form of Korea—with a refined beauty that radiates pure and simple elegance. Indeed, the new home of APMA is itself a work of art, where visitors can explore a multitude of exhibitions and events that bring together the culture of Korea and the world.