MMCA-exhibition
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| ▲ A visitor takes a photo of Ron Mueck's "chicken / man" at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul on April 10, 2025. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ Ron Mueck's "Dark Place" is on display at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul on April 10, 2025. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ Ron Mueck's "Mass" is on display at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul on April 10, 2025. (Yonhap) |
MMCA-exhibition
Ron Mueck's hyper-realistic sculptures arrive in Asia with vertical 'Mass'
By Woo Jae-yeon
SEOUL, April 10 (Yonhap) -- Australia-born sculptor Ron Mueck has produced a relatively small body of works, just 48 sculptures over a career spanning around three decades, highlighting the immense time and energy he devotes to each project.
The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) is set to open Asia's first retrospective of the artist on Friday, showcasing some of his most iconic works at its Seoul branch.
At a press conference Thursday, the MMCA noted the upcoming exhibition, in collaboration with the Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Art, is unique in that some of the pieces, including "chicken / man," have never traveled overseas.
In addition, "Mass," an installation consisting of 100 large-scale resin human skulls, which took two months to be shipped to Korea, will be exhibited vertically for the first time, utilizing the MMCA's unique architecture and spatial character.
"'Mass' has a very direct and strong relationship with the venue that hosts it. MMCA's high ceilings and gallery provided an opportunity for all of us to rethink the installation and present it in a unique way," Chiara Agradi, curator at the Cartier foundation, said at the event.
The monumental installation, described by the MMCA as the exhibition's "highlight," marks a pivotal moment in the artist's career, reflecting his exploration of new methods to better engage audiences with his work, according the museum.
The MMCA expected the exhibition, featuring a total of 24 pieces, to offer a deeply immersive experience by encouraging visitors to reflect on their emotions and personal responses through Mueck's evocative sculptures, which are always rendered either smaller or larger than life.
"Ron is not trying to depict something very specific. What he is doing is to connect with a character, and by extension, to allow us to do the same," said Charles Clarke, curator at Ron Mueck's studio in Britain.
"None of his works attempts to explain something, to preach something, or to speak to the audience from a position of greater knowledge or authority," he said, adding the artist is just trying to "allow a space for the viewers to contemplate for themselves."
"It is open and ambiguous, and not in any way an attempt to preach some message or be interpreted literally," he said.
Clarke also emphasized each viewer's interpretation of Mueck's work will vary based on their own sensitivity, and that the character or figure isn't something the sculptor was prescribing to museum visitors.
Also on display are two films and a series of photographs by French photographer and filmmaker Gautier Deblonde, offering a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into Mueck's studio and creative process.
"Although I spend a lot of time on the surface, it's the life inside I want to capture," the MMCA quoted the 66-year-old artist as saying. He was unable to attend Thursday's event.
The exhibition runs from April 11 to July 13.
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