Sala Youngwon: Vernacular Horizon

Sala Youngwon — Vernacular Horizon: Where Regions Unfold is a collaborative exhibition between South Korea and Thailand, co-curated by the Exhibition Department of the Gwangju Biennale Foundation and Assoc. Prof. Pandit Chanrochanakit. Exploring vernacular landscapes through contemporary art, the exhibition is presented as part of Thailand Biennale Phuket 2025.

 

Featuring works by eight artists from South Korea and Thailand, the exhibition investigates new interpretations of vernacular landscape through local materials, lived experiences, memory, and the cultural contexts of both countries.

 

The exhibition’s concept is grounded in the understanding that a “landscape” is not only shaped by nature, but also by human settlement, migration, language, belief systems, and social structures. “Youngwon” (영원), meaning “eternity,” is used to reflect the duality between what endures and what quickly transforms. The exhibition creates a space for audiences to contemplate the relationship between permanence and impermanence within contemporary human landscapes.

 

Each artwork opens a dialogue about coexistence amid linguistic, cultural, and historical differences, inviting viewers to question the relationship between place and the memories people leave behind.

 

Sala Youngwon — Vernacular Horizon: Where Regions Unfold serves as a platform for exchange, allowing audiences to explore diversity and discover new possibilities for coexistence in today’s society. The exhibition features artworks by the following eight artists: 

Jayi Kim
Gemimi Kim
Sehyun Lee
Thawatchai Puntusawasdi
Wana Wanlayangkoon
Surajate Tongchua
Arjinjonathan Arjinkit
Haru. K