Do not go gentle into that good night, old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light, though wise men at their end know dark is right, because their words had forked no lightning they, do not go gentle into that good night.
Seoul botanical exhibition probes balance between technology and nature
A promotional poster for Seoul Botanic Park's special exhibition, "Kind Balance: Reflecting One Another" / Courtesy of Seoul Botanic Park
By Jhoo Dong-chan
Inside the humid, glass-domed sanctuary of the Seoul Botanic Park, the boundary between the organic and the artificial has begun to blur. The municipal institution unveiled its 2026 contemporary exhibition, "A Tender Balance: Reflecting Each Other," Tuesday, a sprawling site-specific project that positions cutting-edge digital technology and anthropogenic ruins directly alongside living flora.
The yearlong exhibition features major installations, media art and sculptures by four contemporary artists — Koo Ki-jeong, Um Ah-long, Lee Ji-yeon and Chang Han-na. Dispersed across four distinct zones of the botanic complex in western Seoul, the works serve as an active critique of the modern Anthropocene, challenging visitors to reconsider humanity's place within the natural order.
Inside the main greenhouse, artist Chang Han-na has deployed New Rock Inuksuk, a towering installation modeled after ancient Arctic stone landmarks. However, Chang’s stones are not natural. They are "New Rocks" — petrified amalgams of industrial plastic waste and shoreline debris harvested from local ecosystems. The sculptures force a jarring visual game of hide-and-seek, asking viewers to distinguish between genuine geological formations and human-made plastic pollution nestled among the tropical ferns.
At the historic Magok Cultural Center, the tension shifts from physical waste to digital simulation. Media artist Koo Ki-jeong utilizes generative artificial intelligence to merge real-time imagery of the park’s greenhouses with synthetically fabricated landscapes. The resulting immersive installation, "Every Microbe Moves Subtly to Its Own Rhythm," creates an eerie, hypnotic ecosystem where digital code mimics biological life.
"This exhibition transforms the botanic park from a passive leisure space into an active site of philosophical inquiry," said Park Su-mi, director of Seoul Botanic Park. "It offers an intentional sanctuary to witness how our natural baseline is being fundamentally altered by technology and human intervention."
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.