National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) and Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain invite Australian artist Ron Mueck to present his first major solo exhibition in Korea.
Born in Melbourne in 1958 and based in the United Kingdom since 1986, Ron Mueck has created a body of work touching upon the universal, which has profoundly renewed modern figurative sculpture. At once mysterious and extremely lifelike, his works imbue reality with an intensity that invites us to confront our relationship to the body, to time, and to existence.
Mueck draws upon memories, reveries, and everyday experience as he portrays his subjects with extraordinary compassion and always on an astonishing scale. From a period of nearly thirty years his total oeuvre consists of just 48 works which combine extreme technical skills with sophisticated artistic expression. Adopting a traditional approach while using modern materials, his meticulously sculpted works are characterised by careful manipulation of scale and an acute rendering of human emotions which are as precise as the anatomical details, hair, and clothing.
The exhibition presents the monumental installation Mass (2016-2017), from the collection of the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, alongside iconic solitary and coupled figures from earlier in his career, such as Young Couple (2013) and Woman With Shopping (2013), and more recent works which explore new ground, drawing on aspects of his earlier sculptures to find new ways to engage with the viewer.
The exhibition features two films and a suite of photographs by French photographer and filmmaker Gautier Deblonde. At Gallery 6, his works give us a rare glimpse into Ron Mueck’s studio and work environment. Having documented Mueck’s practice for over twenty-five years, Deblonde offers a rare and intimate record of an artist who otherwise prefers to remain in the background, allowing his sculptures to speak for themselves.
This exhibition not only showcases Mueck’s exploration of sculpture as a medium and his efforts to transcend its genre-specific limitations, but also presents an overview of his artistic journey. It is our hope that this will give visitors the chance to experience his sculptural journey—one that has led the evolution and trend of contemporary sculpture while awakening philosophical reflection and deep insights into humanity.
Curated by Hong Leeji, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul. Chiara Agradi, Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain. Charlie Clarke, Associate Curator.
Apr 11 – Jul 13, 2025
Seoul, South Korea
MMCA Korea
