To mark the 30th anniversary of the Korean pavilion at the Venice Biennale, artist Koo Jeong A explored the division of Korea and the potential for a common future using people’s scent memories of Korea. We followed the artist during the installation of ODORAMA CITIES to discuss the concepts of home and nation-state—and how scent contributes to memories of these entities. In an open call, Koo Jeong A asked, “What is your scent memory of Korea?” Over 600 people, including North and South Koreans as well as non-Koreans, responded with stories about the smells they associate with their memories of Korea. “There are descriptions of fog, descriptions of the sun and the snow. Very abstract and the incredible connection between all the materials,” Koo reflects. Together with the curatorial team and professional perfumers, Koo Jeong A developed 16 distinct scents, all reflecting aspects of Korea, from the smell of rice and the sea to the smell of electronics and grandparents. Thus, in their installation at the Korean Pavilion, concrete materials are present only through scent, while infinity symbols take physical forms, such as wooden sculptures and carvings on the floor. All of this points to Koo Jeong A’s ongoing investigation into the space between the material and immaterial, endlessness and the infinite. Koo Jeong A (b. 1967, South Korea) is a multidisciplinary artist who lives and works everywhere. Their practice includes architectural elements, texts, drawings, paintings, sculptures, animations, sound, film, words, and scents. Through the years, they have been known for a practice that blends conceptual art with environmental elements, exploring themes of impermanence, memory, and the interplay between nature and human intervention. Koo Jeong A has exhibited in numerous international exhibitions, including solo and group shows at institutions such as the Palais de Tokyo in Paris and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo. Their work is included in museum collections across the globe, including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Centre Pompidou, and Tate Modern. Koo Jeong A was interviewed by Nanna Rebekka in the Korean Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in April 2024.
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