Kim Myeongbeom, One, 2021, stainless steel and mixed media, 370×510×380cm, Image provided by MMCA.

MMCA and the Desoksugung Palace Management office, Cultural Heritage Administration Royal Palaces and Tombs Center is presenting 《Deoksugung Project 2021 : Garden of Imagination》 through November 28th. This will be held in the outdoor gardens of Deoksugung Palace. This year's Deoksugung Project invites 9 artists from different generations working in various fields.

Contemporary artists Kwon Hyewon, Kim Myeongbeom, Yun Suknam, Lee Yeseung, and Jinnie Seo; landscape architects Kim Ahyeon and Sung Jongsang; animator Lee Yongbae; botanist/botanical illustrator Shin Hyewoo; and intangible cultural asset Hwang Suro will be participating in this project, with the works created with "garden" as their theme.

Kwon Hyewon, How to Imagine aTree, 2021, audio and video installation, Image provided by MMCA

The title of the project, “Garden of Imagination,” was inspired by the late Joseon dynasty’s culture of “uiwon (意園),” or a garden of one’s mind. The literati of the 18th and the 19th century Joseon dynasty cultivated their own “garden in imagination” where they could express and enjoy elegant tastes at their will without any external restrictions. With a contemporary uiwon in mind, participating artists the project contemplate on the garden’s history, philosophy, and practices in order to create their own garden of various focuses and possibilities.