MOON Kyungwon & JEON Joonho

Solo Exhibitions (Brief)

Since forming their duo in 2009, Moon & Jeon have developed a rigorous body of collaborative work focused on the role of art in times of systemic crisis. Their groundbreaking project News from Nowhere was first presented at 《Documenta 13》 (2012), marking the first Korean artist invitation to the event in 20 years. This was followed by 《The Ways of Folding Space & Flying》 (2015, Korean Pavilion, Venice Biennale), 《Seoul Weather Station》 (2022, Art Sonje Center), and 《Weather Station》 (2024–2025, Hyundai Motorstudio Beijing), each expanding their discourse through cinematic installation and public platforms.

Group Exhibitions (Brief)

Together, they have exhibited in key global institutions including Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst (2015), Tate Liverpool (2018–2019), 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa (2022), and MMCA Korea (2012–2022). Their projects adapt to each venue with site-specific research and design, combining video installation, participatory workshops, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Awards (Selected)

The duo has received numerous accolades for their work, including the Grand Prize (Noon Award) at the 2012 Gwangju Biennale, the 1st Korea Artist Prize co-organized by MMCA and SBS Foundation (2012), and the Multitude Art Prize (2013). These awards reflect their commitment to socially engaged, critically reflective practice.

Residencies (Selected)

Their collaborative process prioritizes research-based and discursive formats rather than traditional residencies, often involving long-term engagement with specific locales and institutions through fieldwork and dialogue.

Collections (Selected)

Their collaborative works are collected by Tate Modern, Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst Zurich, MMCA Korea, Amorepacific Museum of Art, SBS Foundation, and Kolon Collection, among others. These holdings attest to the duo’s significant international standing.

MOON Kyungwon

Solo Exhibitions (Brief)

MOON Kyungwon began her solo career with the exhibition 《Temple & Tempo》 at Kumho Museum of Art in 2002. She continued to build her international presence through the residency outcome exhibition 《Wins of Artist in Residence》 at the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum (2004), followed by 《Objectified Landscape》 presented both at Sungkok Art Museum in Seoul and Art Side Gallery in Beijing (2007). Her notable solo projects also include the cross-venue show 《Bubble Talk》 (2008) across several alternative spaces in Seoul, and 《GREENHOUSE》 (2010) at Do Art_Gallery Hyundai, where she explored existential and socio-political contradictions through immersive, narrative-based installations.

Group Exhibitions (Brief)

Her group exhibition history spans major institutional and biennial contexts, starting with 《Art Spectrum 2003》 at Samsung Museum of Art, Leeum. She participated in the 《Seoul International Media Art Biennale》 (2004), 《Animate, Anime》 at Fukuoka Asian Art Museum (2005), 《Fiction@Love》 at the Singapore Art Museum (2006), and 《Have you eaten yet? 》 at the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (2007). Other significant exhibitions include 《NOW JUMP at Nam June Paik Art Center (2008), the 3rd Moscow Biennale (2009), 《A Different Similarity》 at Museum Bochum (2010), 《Haein Art Project》 at Haeinsa Temple (2011), and 《Documenta》 13 in Kassel (2012).

Residencies (Selected)

In 2004, MOON was selected for the artist-in-residence program at the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum in Japan, which became a significant turning point in expanding her international engagement with East Asian contemporary networks.

Collections (Selected)

Her works are held in the collections of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul Museum of Art, Busan Museum of Art, Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art, Kumho Museum of Art, Fukuoka Asian Art Museum (Japan), National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Montevideo (Netherlands), and the Jeju 4·3 Peace Memorial Hall.

JEON Joonho

Solo Exhibitions (Brief)

JEON Joonho gained early recognition as part of Sungkok Art Museum’s 《Tomorrow’s Artist program in 2001. He held solo exhibitions such as 《Instant Replay》 at POSCO Art Museum (2004), 《Hyper-Realism》 at Arario Gallery (2008), and international presentations at Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac in Paris and Scai the Bathhouse in Tokyo (2008–2009). Through these exhibitions, Jeon critically examined the spectacle of capitalism, state ideology, and personal identity in the post-industrial age, using video, installation, and satire as his primary tools.

Group Exhibitions (Brief)

His work has been presented at major exhibitions including the 《5th Gwangju Biennale》 (2004), the 《Singapore Biennale》 (2006), 《All About Laughter》 at Mori Art Museum (2007), 《Peppermint Candy》 at MMCA and MAC Santiago (2008), 《Your Bright Future》 at LACMA and the Museum of Fine Arts Houston (2009), 《Plastic Garden》 at Minsheng Art Museum, Shanghai (2010), the Yokohama Triennale (2011), 《Life Like》 at the Walker Art Center (2012), and 《Documenta 13》 (2012).

Collections (Selected)

JEON's works are in the collections of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul Museum of Art, Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art, Museum of Fine Arts Houston, National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, the Contemporary Art Society (UK), and private collections including those of Uli Sigg and Heinz Ackman in Switzerland.

Originality & Identity

MOON Kyungwon & JEON Joonho are a collaborative artist duo who continuously question the role of art beyond formal experimentation, positioning it as a socially engaged and ethically responsible practice. Their work addresses key contemporary issues—politics, economics, climate crisis, and ideology—while delving into the existential dilemmas of humanity. Through their long-term project 〈News from Nowhere〉, they have established a platform for interdisciplinary collaboration, inviting artists, designers, architects, scientists, and scholars to collectively imagine alternative futures. At the core of their practice lies a commitment to reflect critically on systemic contradictions while also envisioning the transformative potential of art in shaping human consciousness.

Style & Contents

Their artistic language combines moving images, installations, archives, publications, interdisciplinary research, and public engagement. Narratively driven and cinematic in style, their works construct speculative scenarios that blur the lines between fiction and reality, human and non-human, nature and technology. Major works such as El Fin del Mundo, The Ways of Folding Space & Flying, Freedom Village, and The Fire present post-apocalyptic visions, geopolitical tensions, and ecological crises as backdrops for contemplating the meaning and future of art. Multi-channel video installations, robotic elements, and immersive environments play a critical role in activating viewers’ senses and imaginations, creating affective spaces where new modes of perception can emerge.

Topography & Continuity

Since forming their duo in 2009, MOON & JEON have steadily developed a unique topography of practice that bridges local contexts and global discourse. Starting with reflections on Korea’s socio-political landscape, they expanded their reach to international platforms including Documenta (13) in Kassel (2012), the Korean Pavilion at the Venice Biennale (2015), Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst in Zurich (2015), and Tate Liverpool (2018). Their ongoing project 〈News from Nowhere〉 continues to evolve across diverse venues, always grounded in site-specific research and collaboration. Rather than presenting static artworks, they frame their practice as a continuous process of inquiry—one that positions art as a catalyst for rethinking the structures of knowledge, ethics, and society itself.