New Show Explores the Past, Present and Future of Ryoji Ikeda

Summary

The National Asian Culture Center in Gwangju is showcasing an eponymous solo exhibition by seminal Japanese artist Ryoji Ikeda
Now on view through December 28, the exhibition presents four new works alongside Ikeda’s data-verse trilogy in its entirety

To mark its 10th anniversary, the National Asian Culture Center (ACC) in Gwangju, South Korea looks to Ryoji Ikeda, a pioneering artist who played a significant role in the center’s early days. This is his first return since his inaugural “test pattern [nº8]”, and the institution is delighted to welcome him back again for a fresh solo exhibition. The show serves as a reflection on a decade of artistic progression and conceptual shifts at the Center.

As a devotee, I view data not merely as a tool for gathering facts, but as a captivating medium akin to an artist’s palette. For over three decades, Ikeda has been pioneering the frontiers of perception, meticulously sculpting raw information into enveloping encounters that challenge our understanding of reality in the digital era.

This current exhibition gathers seven artworks, such as the complete set of his groundbreaking “data-verse” trilogy. Among these are the individual pieces “dataverse 1/2/3”, along with four previously unseen creations – “data.flux (n˚2)”, “critical mass”, “sleeping beauty”, and “data.gram (n˚8)” – which underscore advancements in both the artist’s craft and technological development since his 2015 ACC presentation.

Inviting people to ponder our role amidst a world dominated by coding, Ikeda extracts elegance from digital clutter, providing a profound reflection on understanding, perceiving, and living in an era marked by excessive data.

ACC Focus 2025: Ryoji Ikeda is now on view through December 28.

National Asian Culture Center
38 Munhwajeondang-ro, Dong-gu,
Gwangju, South Korea

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