Rabbit Inhabits the Moon

October 19, 2024 - March 23, 2025 | MAO Museo Arte Orientale Torino

For the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Italy, the MAO Museo d’Arte Orientale, Turin is presenting the exhibition Rabbit Inhabits the Moon, in partnership with the Nam June Paik Art Center (Yongin, Korea) and the Fondazione Bonotto (Colceresa, Italia), and with support from the Korea Foundation.

The exhibition is curated by Davide Quadrio, director of the museum, and Joanne Kim, Korean critic and curator, with Anna Musini and Francesca Filisetti. Curatorial and scholarly consulting was provided by Manuela Moscatiello (Chargée d’étude, Maison de Victor Hugo, Paris), Kyoo Lee (professor of Philosophy, Women’s Studies and Justice Studies, City University of New York) and Patrizio Peterlini (director of Fondazione Bonotto).

Rabbit Inhabits the Moon aims to stimulate dynamic dialogue that reflects the development of the cultural and artistic landscape of the two countries, in particular rereading the legacy of Nam June Paik and his influence on contemporary artists. New work by Korean artists and videos and installations from the collection of the Nam June Paik Art Center are paired with famous works by Paik – mostly on loan from Fondazione Bonotto – and fine traditional objects from prestigious institutions, including the Musée Guimet - Musée national des Arts asiatiques, Paris, the Museo d’Arte Orientale ‘E. Chiossone’, Genoa and the Museo delle Civiltà, Rome.

Artists on display and consultation room
In dialogue with the works of Nam June Paik, the following artists are present in the exhibition: Jesse Chun, Ahn Kyuchul, eobchae × Ryu Sungsil, Sunmin Park, Shiu Jin, Park Jiha, Kwon Dae-sup. A consultation room curated by architect Kun Min Kim will be set up with publications, artist books and in-depth videos dedicated to the research of each artist in an area of ​​the Museum adjacent to the exhibition.

Public program
As always happens in the exhibition projects of the MAO, Rabbit Inhabits the Moon is also conceived as a living organism and, for its entire duration, presents a rich musical and performance program, curated by Chiara Lee and Freddie Murphy, involving Korean and Italian artists, known for their ability to blend traditional and contemporary art forms, including Angela Ceo, Francesca Heart, Haepaary and Diana Lola Posani.

On the occasion of the inauguration, on October 18th the MAO, in collaboration with the Central Market, presents the performance of the Korean group GOOSEUNG, for the first time in Italy.
Starting at 6:30 pm the artists will intervene in the exhibition with some performative incursions that will continue in a procession towards the Central Market where they will perform the traditional musical form known as Samul nori.
During the months of opening, the artist Giorgia Fincato will intervene with a participatory action in the exhibition, focused on drawing and the gestural practice that derives from it, activating a collaboration with the Education Department of the Museum.