Jeju Biennale makes solid return despite budget slash

By Park Han-sol

JEJU ISLAND — In what was once a movie theater on Jeju Island, artist Boo Ji-hyun invites visitors to experience the unexpectedly otherworldly: the physical sensation of sinking into an endless expanse of water, without a single drop of liquid in sight.

Her perception-bending sensory installation, “Ultimate Space,” at Jeju Art Platform is built from an unassuming mix of fog, lasers, motors and repurposed fishing light attractors. Yet, what Boo achieves with these humble materials is nothing short of astounding.

As you enter the pitch-black theater, you’re compelled to pause, letting your eyes adjust to the enveloping darkness. Gradually, a surreal vision takes shape: a glowing expanse of green light and billowing smoke, stretching endlessly into the void. The scene evokes the undulating waves of the sea, but impossibly suspended in mid-air.

Stepping into it requires a moment of courage, a willingness to briefly set aside your self-preservation instinct. Once inside, it no longer feels like you’re surrounded by a sheet of lasers and fog; instead, it’s as if you’re wading through an infinite, ethereal ocean.

“‘Ultimate Space’ is composed of intangible elements — light and fog — but what viewers experience feels remarkably tangible. It’s an encounter that allows them to forget about the outside world for a moment and immerse themselves in an entirely new sensation,” the artist remarked at Jeju Art Platform.

Inspired by her own memories of the sea, Boo has showcased her atmospheric installation in several other cities before, but this marks the first time she has brought it to her hometown of Jeju, as part of this year’s Jeju Biennale.

Now in its fourth edition, the biennale opened on Tuesday under the theme “The Drift of Apagi: The Way of Water, Wind and Stars,” touching on the island’s distinct identity.

“Jeju is an island steeped in the history of drifting,” said Lee Jong-hoo, executive director of the Jeju Biennale and director of the Jeju Museum of Art. “The concept of ‘drifting’ weaves through its ecological environment, culture, religion, politics and the histories of migration and refugees. I hope this biennial offers a chance to reinterpret, through art, the intersections — both accidental and inevitable — that drifting creates.”

Featuring 87 artists from 14 countries, including nine Jeju-based creatives, the event unfolds across five venues in the central and western regions of the island: Jeju Museum of Art, Jeju Art Platform, Jeju Museum of Contemporary Art, International Convention Center Jeju and the Folklore and Natural History Museum.

Despite a substantial budget cut — 550 million won ($394,000) less than the previous edition — the biennale delivers a remarkably solid presentation, albeit one that feels tight-fitting at times due to inevitably limited venues.

At the Jeju Museum of Art stands a striking 5-meter-tall sculptural totem, crafted from marine debris and driftwood that originated on Jeju but washed ashore on the Japanese island of Tsushima.

The journey of these materials in Yang Kura’s “The Nameless Ones” echoes a tragic chapter in Jeju Island’s own history: the bodies of victims from the April 3 Jeju Massacre in 1948, carried away by ocean currents and ultimately ending up on Tsushima. The Japanese island’s residents would bury these remains and erect a cenotaph to honor the lost souls.

Not far from Yang’s totem is Indonesian storyteller Agus Nur Amal’s “LARUNG FESTIVAL.” Drawing inspiration from Jeju’s ancient Yeongdeung shamanic ritual dedicated to the sea goddess, the artist presents his signature “object theater performance” alongside the island’s children. The title evokes the Indonesian tradition of washing away various offerings into the sea as a gesture of gratitude toward nature, thus beautifully bridging the folk rites of two distinct cultures.

Also worth exploring is a special exhibition held alongside the biennale at the museum, devoted to Pyongyang-born painter Chang Ree-suok (1916-2019).

For over six decades, Chang captured the faces of the island’s iconic “haenyeo” (female divers) with bold brushstrokes and thick impasto. The result is a compelling collection of portraits that celebrate these resilient women at leisure, radiating a raw, primal vitality.

And at the International Convention Center Jeju, a 45-minute drive from the Jeju Museum of Art, an intriguing dialogue unfolds between the works of two photographers — Korea’s Kim Soo-nam (1949-2006) and Japan’s Higa Yasuo (1938-2000) — both of whom documented the trance-like moments of ancient shamanic rites.

The “gut,” or Korean shamanistic rituals, of Jeju Island and the Ryukyuan traditions of Okinawa reveal fascinating spiritual parallels.

Unfortunately, the exhibition may be somewhat overlooked due to its distance from other venues and its placement in a nearly hidden corner of the convention center. Nonethelss, it sure offers insight into the cultural resonance of these rites in both regions.

The Jeju Biennale runs through Feb. 16.