**The 19th International Architecture Exhibition Opens on May 10th; Korean Pavilion Opens on the 9th**
“The Korean Arts Council (ARCO) will unveil an exhibition episode at the Korean Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Biennale 19th International Architecture Exhibition, which opens on May 10th, inspired by the traditional children’s song ‘Du-gub-a, Du-gub-a.'”
The Korean Arts Council announced on the 17th at a press conference at the ARCO Art Museum in Seoul that the Korean Pavilion exhibition would be themed ‘Du-gub-a, Du-gub-a: The Time of the House.’
This year’s Korean Pavilion exhibition, marking the 30th anniversary of the Korean Pavilion, will showcase the building process and significance of the pavilion designed by the late Kim Seok-chul and Franco Mancuso. The toad, symbolizing ‘change’ and ‘regeneration’ in both Eastern and Western cultures, will be a key figure to highlight the traditional values, architectural significance, and sustainability of the national pavilion at the Venice Biennale.
The artistic direction of this year’s Korean Pavilion will be jointly managed by CAC (Curating Architecture Collective: Da-young Jung, Hee-jung Kim, and Sung-kyu Jung), the youngest team in history, as the artistic directors. Artists such as Hyun-jong Kim (Atelier Khj), Hee-chan Park (Studio Hitch), Ye-na Yang (Plastique Fantastique), and Da-mi Lee (Flora & Fauna) will also participate.
The Korean Pavilion uses the phrase from the toad’s traditional children’s song, “I will give you an old house, bring a new house,” to explore the significance of deconstructing and reconstructing the pavilion through the lens of sustainability. Additionally, the phrase “a fire broke out in your house” serves as a metaphorical reflection on the limitations of the Korean Pavilion and raises issues concerning climate change and environmental challenges at the Venice Biennale.
The architecture of the Korean Pavilion primarily focuses on two aspects. The first aspect explores the spatial and temporal context of the existing pavilion to discuss its collaborative harmony and ecological friendship. It also showcases videos capturing the past, present, and future of the Korean Pavilion.
The second aspect involves works by artists Hyun-jong Kim, Hee-chan Park, Ye-na Yang, and Da-mi Lee. They emphasize the foundational conditions of building the pavilion rather than national identity, demonstrating how the pavilion’s design principles, which prioritize wood, naturally align with Venice—a city built on wooden foundations.
The Korean Pavilion, built in the Giardini Park where the Venice Biennale is held, was constructed without damaging surrounding natural elements, such as ancient brick buildings and trees, earning it comparisons to a ‘garden of the house.’
Meanwhile, the opening ceremony of the Korean Pavilion exhibition will be held at 2 PM (local time) on May 9th at the Korean Pavilion in Castello Park. On the same day at 5 PM, there will also be an architectural forum celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Korean Pavilion at the Querini Stampalia Auditorium.