Trees & Traces – Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism

Sound Design and composition under Studio Marco Barotti.

Design and Project by Plastique Fantastique. Marco Canevacci & Yena Young.

TREES & TRACES
An (in)visible pavilion.
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Songhyeon Green Plaza / Songhyeon Dong, Seoul, Korea.
SEOUL BIENNALE OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM.

In the heart of Seoul, right beside the historic Joseon Dynasty palace, an emblematic space emerges from the ground. The location of Songhyeon Dong carries a rich and varied history, with changing uses and owners over time. The (in)visible pavilion presents contrasting perspectives: reflecting on the outside, while revealing transparency within. It acts as a temporal connector, transcending the boundaries of time for the 4th Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism.
Inspired by the site’s intricate history, the artists embarked on a quest to discover the relics hidden beneath the soil. During their April 2023 site visit, they unearthed several artifacts, now exhibited along the installation’s earthen wall. An immersive soundscape echoes the long-vanished pine forest, once believed to channel energy towards the Gyeongbokgung palace.
TREES & TRACES engages visitors on multiple sensory levels, inviting them to explore and reflect on the complex history of the Songhyeon Green Plaza. The installation, both futuristic and archaic, blurs the boundaries between past and present, reality and imagination. This interplay of acoustic memories, visual perceptions, and tactile sensations weaves a captivating narrative that draws people into an immediate and enigmatic encounter with the site’s heritage.

TREES & TRACES
An (in)visible pavilion

A Plastique Fantastique project, Marco Canevacci and Yena Young
Team: Pihla Pellinen, Sebastian Podesta, Lucas Sere Peltzer, Erick Montefort

Curator: Sara Kim
Assistant curator: Yong Jin Cho
Landscape architecture: Young-sung Jeon
Soundscape: Misha MacLaren under Studio Marco Barotti.

Special thanks to: Anna Anderegg
Technical sponsor: ARRI Lighting Solutions

The 4th Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism