A Korean Forest Gets its own Art Exhibition

What does it mean when we say "nature" is the artist?

In October 2017, ecological artist Patrick M. Lydon brought ten blank canvases to a remote forest in the mountains of South Korea to find out. The forest, a long-time friend of Lydon, was respectfully asked to spend a year making artworks on the canvases. A year and a half later, the finished canvases were exhibited in a contemporary art gallery in Seoul, and the forest was credited as the artist.

The ensuing exhibition "Forest is the Artist: works by Gomsil Forest" was covered by one of Korea's major newspapers, with the headline "Pictures drawn by the forest ... in rain water, dirt, and bird shit."

The organizers say that the profits from works sold are to be delivered in cash to Gomsil Forest, as this is the only way the contemporary art market knows how to value artworks.

The exhibition was produced by the City as Nature art and media lab, with curation and coordination by PlaceMAK gallery in Seoul, South Korea. Music in the film is courtesy of Korean musician Bomnoonbyeol.

This short documentary explores the process and concept behind the exhibition through interviews with the coordinator.

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