Kim Sooja, A Laundry Field, Wanås Konst, 2020. ©Mattias Givell

The contemporary artist Kim Sooja is the subject of a solo exhibition titled 《Sowing Into Painting》, on view through November 1, 2020, at Wanås Konst, located in the south of Sweden.

An arts venue that comes directly into contact with nature—such as the green meadows, lawns, and a forest—since its establishment in 1987, Wanås Konst is widely recognized for both its permanent and temporary presentations of works which are displayed in harmony with its natural surroundings. Kim Sooja’s exhibition title, 《Sowing Into Painting》, evokes the artist’s new way of working, which involves using the land as her canvas that frames her artistic practice.

Works at the exhibition are displayed across a vast area, including both the outdoor venues and indoor Art Gallery. At the Sculpture Park, visitors are first welcomed by 〈A Laundry Field〉(2020), an accumulation of 100 pieces of old-fashioned white bedsheets that represent the human life cycle. By hanging these sheets along the beech wood forest, Kim effectively incorporates aspects of nature into her working process. 〈To Breathe〉(2020), a mirror floor installed in the old Hay Barn built in 1750, creates a novel landscape by reflecting and morphing its surroundings.

The Art Gallery presents the artist’s 〈Meta-Painting〉(2020) series, which makes use of bottari, the Korean cloth bundles used to wrap personal belongings. As part of the exhibition, the artist also planted two varieties of flax in a field approximately 330m² large. Flax is used to produce linseed oil, which is the main substance in oil paint. Kim Sooja plans to extend her artistic vocabulary into nature throughout the exhibition period, while the seeds grow and change over the course of time.

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