Contemporary art giant Tino Sehgal is launching a 20-hour immersive participatory art project at Taraka Jeju in Seogwipo, South Korea, running for a month starting October 30. According to Mediapen, the project abandons traditional indoor gallery spaces to utilize Jeju Island’s natural environment as an expansive stage.
Expanding Beyond Museum Walls into Jeju’s Natural Landscape
Sehgal’s career spans major international institutions, including the Guggenheim Museum in New York, Tate Modern in London, and Seoul’s Leeum Museum of Art, where he held his first South Korean solo exhibition earlier this year from March 3 to June 28. Mediapen reported that the artist drew inspiration for this outdoor staging during a post-exhibition trip to Jeju earlier this year, where he was struck by the island’s environmental purity. Explaining the background of the initiative, the artist stated, During my previous solo exhibition at the Leeum Museum of Art, I visited South Korea for the first time. At that time, I took a trip to Jeju, and I completely fell in love with the overwhelming natural beauty and pure environment of clean Jeju. It was then that I decided to step outside the confined indoor spaces of a museum and plan and execute the world’s first large-scale program with the entire beautiful island as a backdrop.
Participants in the upcoming project will spend 20 hours moving freely through Jeju’s gardens and forests. Rather than passively viewing objects, visitors encounter designated interpreters during ordinary moments of rest and meditation. These unexpected interactions transform attendees into active components of the artwork itself, undergoing a 20-hour inner exploration process that allows them to thoroughly reflect on themselves through the medium of art.
Taraka Jeju Hosts Wellness Program for Families with Pets
To deepen the participatory framework, the project incorporates sessions led by classical philologist Bae Chul-hyun alongside a natural dining service designed by life artist Lee Hyo-jae. The program merges Sehgal’s artistic philosophy with local ecological elements.
The host venue, Taraka Jeju, is located in Saekdal-dong, Seogwipo, and operates as a pet-friendly wellness stay. The venue is structured to allow families with pets to participate in the 20-hour immersion program, which aims to connect humans, nature, and animals, allowing families to experience communion and healing in Jeju's clean environment.
| Project Detail | Specification |
|---|---|
| Artist | Tino Sehgal |
| Program Length | 20 Hours per immersive session |
| Location | Taraka Jeju, Saekdal-dong, Seogwipo, South Korea |
| Collaborators | Bae Chul-hyun, Lee Hyo-jae |
The project represents Sehgal’s first large-scale outdoor undertaking of this duration, shifting participatory art into an open-air residential format.
