Ryoji Ikeda Solo Exhibition Opens on Jeju Island

Ryoji Ikeda, an artist known for his work spanning France and Japan, launched his most extensive solo exhibition in Korea on Thursday, September 24, 2026. The exhibition is situated at House of Refuse, an alternative space on Jeju Island, which is housed within a concrete structure that had been abandoned for over two decades prior to its renovation. This exhibition showcases several large-scale sensory installations, including three entirely new pieces and two revised versions making their global debut. The presentation also includes a live performance by Ikeda, which took place on site.

A significant highlight of the exhibition is "The Critical Paths," an artwork developed through collaborative research with the Estonian Genome Center at the University of Tartu. This piece transforms genomic data from 100,000 individuals into a dynamic interplay of light and sound. The installation utilizes suspended LED screens and floor-to-ceiling mirrors to construct an expansive, seemingly infinite corridor of data. As visitors navigate this environment, where the cumulative history of human evolution is represented, they become an integral part of this vast data fragment. Another work premiering globally is "the irreducible," which occupies a completely darkened gallery. Millions of digits are projected onto a massive LED screen, with the visual field extended infinitely by mirrors positioned underfoot. Although the experience is visually rendered, it aims to convey the concept of the "mathematical sublime," an abstract realm that surpasses the full comprehension of the human eye and brain.

Further contributing to the exhibition's exploration of data and perception are other notable works. "the irreducible [nº13]" presents over one million digits printed onto 35mm film, displayed within a light box that initially appears as a static image. "Spin" employs an ultra-high-precision laser, rotating at high velocity, to generate the visual illusion of a three-dimensional structure. Collectively, these installations effectively illustrate the inherent limitations of human perception within the context of contemporary society, which is increasingly driven by data. The opening event also featured a rare live performance by Ikeda himself, who, dressed in black and wearing sunglasses, operated ten turntables simultaneously, a feat he had not performed in approximately 20 years. This performance offered a distinct contrast to the visual installations, emphasizing a different facet of his artistic practice.