American artist James Turrell speaks during a press conference for his upcoming solo exhibition “The Return” at Pace Gallery in Seoul on June 11, 2025. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, June 11 (Korea Bizwire) — For American artist James Turrell, widely known as the master of light, light isn’t just something that allows people to see other things. It’s something to be treasured in its own right.
At a press briefing for his upcoming solo exhibition, “The Return,” at Pace Gallery in Seoul on Wednesday, the 82-year-old artist said the most significant change in his work was shifting from using light merely to “illuminate other subjects” to focusing on “light itself.”
Turrell’s interest lies in “what light reveals,” both physically and perceptually.
“I’ve long wanted people to treasure light to recognize it as something with its own presence, its own value,” he added.
The exhibition is Turrell’s first solo show in Seoul since 2008, and a key project for the Boston-based gallery as it celebrates its 65th anniversary. With nine branches globally, Pace Gallery opened its Seoul space in 2017.
Across its three stories, the gallery will showcase 25 works, encompassing prints and photos. A key highlight is “The Wedge,” Turrell’s new site-specific installation for the exhibition, a room-spanning piece from his landmark series on the third floor. Through projected light, the work creates a compelling spatial illusion, making the gallery appear to defy its architectural boundaries.
Viewers may feel confused or even disoriented by the installations, the artist said, because they are stepping into a reality “without a visible horizon.”
“It’s like being a pilot flying into a cloud, or a skier in whiteout conditions,” he said. “It is exhilarating for some, nauseating for others … At first it makes you sick but over time, you crave the feeling. That’s what’s happening now in the digital and conceptual spaces we live in,” he explained.
“I want my work to explore that reality. Sometimes people feel dizzy and sit down in my installations, but they will begin to feel something more positive.”
The artist also found a connection between his own profound love for light and lifelong dedication to art, and the vibrant support and appreciation Korean people have for culture and art.
“You are putting together an amazing culture right now, probably the strongest culture in Asia. This is happening everywhere, all the way from K-pop to amazing pianists and violinists who are really pushing the limits.”
“This is a culture that really loves art just as I do,” he said, adding “But in the end, I am just an artist. Art is not the biggest thing in the world. This is my job and I am trying to do my job.”
“The Return” opens on Saturday and runs through Sept. 17.
(Yonhap)
