"Photography is not permitted in this exhibition."
At a time when "proof shots" for social media have become the primary purpose of art exhibitions, this guidance from museum staff is highly unusual. It's not merely about copyright. The restriction stems from the nature of works that are completed through pure experience and memory, rather than documentation through photographs or catalogs. Behind this lies the artist's long-held conviction and philosophy. This is the story of Tino Sehgal's (50) first solo exhibition in Korea, opening March 3 at Leeum Museum of Art—one of the most anticipated shows of the first half of this year.
An Exhibition Made Entirely of Gestures
"Wow~ This is so contemporary!"
The moment visitors enter Leeum Museum of Art, staff members cheerfully sing out and surround them while dancing. Some visitors join in with shoulder shimmies, while others, seemingly embarrassed, lower their heads without making eye contact and hurry inside. This is the exhibition's beginning. The piece is "This is so contemporary," which Sehgal presented in 2005 as the youngest artist to represent the German Pavilion at the Venice Biennale.
A new work awaits in the museum lobby. Six or seven people shuffle about, feeling their way around pillars and wandering nearby with fluid movements. Sometimes they offer visitors deeply personal remarks: "My day begins with coffee." While conventional performance or conceptual art would call them "performers," Sehgal calls them "Interpreters." He also terms this type of work "Constructed Situations." For the artist, what matters is not merely "viewing" art but "experiencing" it as a participant. Unable to take photographs, visitors must engrave the exhibition solely through their own senses and experiences, holding memories instead of records.
Eight works are presented in total, from the museum entrance to the garden on the outdoor deck. The standout piece is undoubtedly "Kiss" (2002). Passing through a beaded curtain—a work by the late artist Felix Gonzalez-Torres—visitors enter a space surrounded by Rodin sculptures, where two interpreters are intertwined. Witnessing real people kissing this intensely, close enough to hear their breathing, is an extraordinary experience. What could be an erotic, passionate scene unfolds through movements that are extremely slow and delicate. This allows viewers to experience moments when their bodies seem to transform into sculptures molded by Rodin. The dramatic contrast between various "classical bronze sculptures"—from Rodin's "The Kiss" to "The Thinker" at the far end—and the "living sculptures" created by the interpreters' subtle gestures can never be captured in photographs. The interpreters, working in two pairs, take turns performing "Kiss" for four hours each during the museum's eight-hour daily operation.
No Written Contracts, Yet Works Are Sold Out
Born in London in 1976 to a German mother and Indian father, Sehgal studied political economy at Humboldt University in Berlin, where he contemplated production methods that consume no material resources. He chose dance as a means of "production that uses none of the earth's resources," and while working in contemporary dance, moved his stage to museums in the late 1990s. At Documenta in Kassel in 2012, he maximized audience senses using only human voices and movement in a completely dark room. In 2013, he won the Golden Lion, the top prize at the Venice Biennale.
What matters to Sehgal is the presentness that can only be experienced on-site. Photography is prohibited not only for visitors but also for museums, making catalog production impossible. When museums purchase his works, they proceed with "verbal contracts" rather than written ones. Nevertheless, leading museums worldwide have "acquired" and hold his works in their collections. Private collectors exist in Europe as well. According to his exclusive gallery Esther Schipper and others, "Yet Untitled," his 2013 Biennale Golden Lion-winning work, is completely sold out across all editions. Anyone wishing to acquire this work must pay the current owner and contact Tino Studio to collaborate on "receiving transmission" of the piece. Collectors must then reproduce the movements, costumes, and dialogue exactly according to the artist's manual.
Instead of taking photographs, visitors must come to the museum in person. Instead of focusing on capturing images, they must commit the works purely to memory. This offers an experience of awakening bodily senses. Three of the eight works are shown in alternating six-week rotations. Visitors are recommended to view the outdoor deck garden installation on their way out. The exhibition runs through June 28.