리듬풍경​ RhythmScape

Curated by Chaeyoung Lee
Canadian content in association with Catherine Sinclair

Originally shown in South Korea and then in Japan, the North American debut of this international exhibition features a variety of contemporary artistic strategies that measure the pulse of life, society and work.

Its premise stems from French sociologist Henri Lefebvre's book Rhythmanalysis: Space, Time and Everyday Life (1992). According to Lefebvre, “rhythmanalysis” is a way of listening to the various layers of “noise” and “silence” of urban spaces. This type of knowledge provides greater understanding of how society functions, and ultimately offers reforms and improvements. The exhibition positions today's contemporary artists as de facto “rhythmanalysts”: agents who understand and react to society's nuances.

For the Ottawa Art Gallery’s edition, Canadian artists Brendan Fernandes, Tiphaine Girault and Paula Bath join the work of Korean artists Yong Ju Kwon, Hwayeon Nam, Jung Uk Yang, Sojung Jun, and duo Hyejeong Cho and Sook Hyun Kim, as well as the work of Japanese artist Tetsuya Umeda and Swedish artist Johanna Billing. Together their work brings forth a better understanding of human interaction through life and labour, from such aspects as communication through sign language, emotional labour of service workers, to the habits of commuters and the lives of factory workers. They create a portrait of how artists are in tune with all forms of today’s society.

Organized and circulated by The Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art, South Korea. In partnership with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea to Canada, supported by the Korean Foundation for International Culture Exchange.

Sponsored by:

리듬풍경​ RhythmScape, installation view, Ottawa Art Gallery, 2020. Photo: Chris Snow