Until the last weekend of summer, Sydneysiders (and the city's visitors) are invited to the MCA to view a southern hemisphere first: a solo exhibition of the immersive architectural installations and large-scale sculptures of South Korean artist Do Ho Suh. And, it's exclusive to Sydney.
Known for manipulating vivid hues of fabric to create striking structures (like staircases, corridors and rooms), the acclaimed artist is on Australian shores as part of the 2022/2023 Sydney International Art Series. Visitors can walk through, within and around the works, which reflect Suh's musings on space, memory and the body.
As one of the artist's most comprehensive projects to date, Do Ho Suh offers the chance to experience artworks spanning a variety of mediums. Large-scale installations are joined by sculptures, drawings, printmaking and video works. Crossing cultures and countries, these works draw upon the artist's childhood and schooling in South Korea, his family home, and his time spent in New York, Berlin and London.
Do Ho Suh, 'Floor', 1997–2000, Anna Kučera
Among the highlights is the inaugural presentation of Suh's Rubbing/Loving Project: Seoul Home, which is a full-scale reconstruction of his childhood home made out of paper rubbings on view in the MCA's Level 1 North Gallery.
There's also Hub, which lets visitors walk through bright, interconnecting fabric structures; Staircase-III, which is on loan from the Tate Collection and does indeed feature a hand-stitched fabric staircase; and the aptly named Floor, which is a vast floor-based installation featuring thousands of tiny sculptured figures supporting transparent glass plates that sit beneath gallery-goers' feet.
Do Ho Suh, 'Hub' series, Anna Kučera
To get more from the exhibition, opt for a guided tour (they're running in both English and Korean) and then secure a seat at the MCA Cafe to refuel with the new Korean menu (complete with a signature soju cocktail) created in association with the Korean Cultural Centre Australia.
There is also a lunchtime talk series dedicated to the artist, as well as the hands-on Family Space: Draw Home, which invites Do Ho Suh visitors of all ages to creatively use string to represent what 'home' means to them on a vast collaborative wall installation.
There are plenty of stand-out ways to experience Suh's exhibition — so nab a ticket, stat.
Experience Do Ho Suh at the MCA until Sunday, February 26, 2023. There are a range of ticket pricing options available, including those for youth, concession holders and families. For more information and to secure your tickets, head to the website.
Top images: Do Ho Suh, Staircase-III (first image), 2010, installation view, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney, 2022, polyester fabric, stainless steel, Tate: Purchased with funds provided by the Asia Pacific Acquisitions Committee 2011, image courtesy the artist and Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, © Do Ho Suh, photograph: Anna Kučera; Do Ho Suh, Hub series (second image), installation view, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney, 2022, polyester fabric, stainless steel, image courtesy the artist and Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, © Do Ho Suh, photograph: Anna Kučera.