SPACE February 2025 (No. 687)
Exhibition view of ‘Koo Jeong A: Odorama Cities’ on the second floor ©Goh Jeong Kyun
The exhibition titled ‘Koo Jeong A: Odorama Cities’ which was first showcased at the 2024 Venice Biennale is currently being held at ARKO Art Center. As a combination of ‘odor’ and ‘drama’, ‘Odorama’ theatrically reenacts the process of invoking memories and impressions via smell. The artist Koo Jeong A has previously showcased multiple visual artworks that use non-visual elements as materials. Using ordinary odors that are gathered from the Korean peninsula, this exhibition provides a detailed reorganisation of objects and landscapes of our surroundings. The artist interviewed individuals with various backgrounds such as Koreans living overseas, visiting foreigners, and people who have relocated from North Korea about their lives and memories related to Korea. After collecting about 600 varied ‘scent memories’ through these interviews, the artist grouped together common keywords such as jangdokdae, rice, grandparents, and public baths to create 17 ‘olfactory libraries’. Unlike the Korean Pavilion exhibition which featured a large Moebius’ belt-like sculpture that delivered olfactory experiences, Koo focused this time on the narrative of scents and showcased about 600 stories at the exhibition’s lobby. On the second floor, Koo displayed 17 different scents through a wooden objet that represents the sculpture that was exhibited at the Korean Pavilion. Using only the sense of smell, the visitors are invited to identify each of these odors. Through the medium of odor, the exhibition provides an opportunity for visitors to reengage with their memories of objects and landscapes of our surroundings. The exhibition will be held until Mar. 23.
