{
  "id": 5475710,
  "title": "[K-ART FOCUS] For Koo Jeong-a, missing is part of seeing",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/k-art-focus-for-koo-jeong-a-missing-is-part-of-seeing",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-04T03:02:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/lifestyle/arts-theater/20260904/k-art-focus-for-koo-jeong-a-missing-is-part-of-seeing"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Koo Jeong-a's new exhibition at the Leeum Museum of Art, titled \"KOO JEONG A: OUSSSMOS,\" invites visitors to experience the artist's unique preoccupation with the subtle traces of scent, the subtle glow that emerges after darkness, and a crystal that only flashes when viewed from the correct angle. The exhibition is spread across the entire museum, turning the gallery into a vast, interactive space.\n\nTo begin the journey, visitors must first locate 50 crystals hidden in a dark gabion wall outside the gallery. This task, designed to challenge the notion of looking versus seeing, tests whether the observer truly engages with the artwork. Inside the exhibition, the crystal \"A Reality Upgrade & End Alone\" (2003/2026) remains elusive, revealing its light only after the viewer shifts position and looks again.\n\nKoo Jeong-a, interviewed at a press event for her new show, emphasized that \"seeing is understanding\" and \"seeing is knowing.\" However, she clarified that she cannot force viewers to comprehend her works; she merely hopes they will find their own pathway.",
  "summary": "Koo Jeong-a makes art from what people usually fail to notice: the lingering trace of scent, a glow that emerges only after darkness falls and a crystal that flashes only when a viewer happens to stand in the right place. Her new solo exhibition at Leeum Museum of Art, “KOO JEONG A: OUSSSMOS,” turns that preoccupation into a museum-wide experience. On a rainy afternoon, the first challenge was…",
  "key_points": [
    "Koo Jeong-a's exhibition invites visitors to experience scent, glow, and angle-dependent crystal.",
    "Visitors must locate 50 crystals hidden outside the gallery to begin the journey.",
    "Koo Jeong-a emphasizes seeing as understanding and knowing, but cannot force comprehension."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The artist's interactive exhibition redefines the viewer's role, challenging them to actively engage with and interpret the artwork, rather than passively observing it, in a way that prioritizes personal understanding.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "[K-ART FOCUS] For Koo Jeong-a, missing is part of seeing",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/k-art-focus-for-koo-jeong-a-missing-is-part-of-seeing-5480810",
        "published": "2026-09-04T03:32:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}