KOREA

The South Korean project examines the period that marked independence from Japanese colonial rule (1945-1948) not as an ended event, but as an open process still marked by fractures and aspirations. The sculptures by Goen Choi and Hyeree Ro articulate this tension through two visions: copper piping that cuts through the architecture like a circulatory system, and a porous, immersive “pavilion within the pavilion,” structured around the fundamental gestures of existence. The project thus takes shape as a space of care, represented as a living monument, an organism that is at once “fortress” and “nest,” where independence is not a given condition but an ongoing collective practice.

Featured image: Work-in-progress view, Meridian (2026) – Courtesy of 2026 Korean Pavilion
Photo Jongchul Lee