Minja Gu's artistic contribution to 'Ceremony' by Radicants, established by Nicolas Bourriaud

Under the artistic direction of Radicants, the international curatorial cooperative founded by Nicolas Bourriaud, the tenth anniversary edition of Asia NOW presents an entirely new exhibition entitled “Ceremony,” in which ceremony takes the form of cultural practices, a celebration of ancestral wisdom and a critical tool that both reinforces and transforms the collective, traditions and hierarchies of power.A ceremony is usually composed of a prescribed sequence of actions, words, and artifacts, frequently enacted at rhythmic intervals, whether daily, weekly, or annually, or during significant milestones. While the term ” ritual ” traditionally evokes images of solemn religious rites, the ceremony opens the door to the cultural practices embedded in daily existence. From culinary rituals to the communal exuberance of festivals, these moments pulse with significance, bridging the sacred and the mundane.

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Within the exhibition’s intermediate spaces at La Monnaie, the artistic practices on display engage in earnest inquiries into the rituals of conviviality and social connectivity. The work transcends mere representation, exploring ceremonies through shared experiences, mutual care, and the exuberant expressions of life. At the heart of this exhibition lies a profound motif: cheerfulness as a survival strategy intertwined with the healing power of social connectivity. It invites contemplation on how artistic expressions can facilitate the processing of loss and trauma, particularly in these times marked by conflict and political upheaval. Ultimately, Asia Now stands as a vital testament to the enduring necessity of ceremonies in fostering empathy, resilience, and a shared vision of a more interconnected existence.

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Minja Gu presents ‘Happily ever after – 잘살아보세’ (Matchmaking, Performance, Photographic documentation, 2010)
The artist arranged group matchmaking for unmarried men and women in their age of over 30 on 30th May 2010. Most of them thought the matchmaking was held by the city government, not as an artistic project. On the day, the participants -15 men and 15 women – took part in matchmaking programs with Korean average face masks on, hiding their conditions. Through the program, participants just can ask questions to each other with the given question cards. Finally, three couples are made on the day.

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Artists participating in the exhibition organized by Radicants: Bobby Yu Shuk Pui (VI, VII), Charwei Tsai (Mor Charpentier), Marcos Kueh (Ron Mandos), Leelee Chan (Capsule Shanghai / Klemm’s), Zadie Xa (Thaddaeus Ropac), Trevor Yeung (Galerie Allen), Nil Yalter, Minja Gu (NIKA Project Space), Qian Qian (Richard Saltoun), Özlem Altın (The Pill), Yohan Han (Parliament), Natsuko Uchino (Galerie Allen), Ariuna Bulutova, Isaac Chong Wai (Zilberman gallery), Mohammad AlFaraj (Athr Gallery, Kamel Mennour), Faina Yunusova (Jean-Claude Maier), Ming Wong (Carlier | Gebauer), Nina Jayasuriya (Kamel Mennour).