Isabel and Alfredo Aquilizan at the Busan Biennale 2019

27 Sep 2019

Isabel and Alfredo Aquilizan are presenting Tales From the Wind, Litanies of the Sea, a large-scale installation as part of the 2019 Sea Art Festival, Busan Biennale, Korea.

Taking place over a 30-day period from September 28 to October 27 at Dadaepo Beach in Busan, 20 artists from 12 countries are presenting 21 artworks that focus on nature, ecology, and life. Taking the 1961 song “Sea of Heartbreak,” by Don Gibson as its inspiration, the exhibition uses heartbreak as a starting point to consider the transformations and regeneration that exist beyond it. In the song, the sea was a space symbolising the pain of parting, whereas the “Sea of Heartbreak” highlighted in this exhibition represents both the natural environment and a space imbued with multiple layers of meaning, including its ecological and livelihood aspects.

Divided into the three sections “Sea of Pain,” “Sea of Change,” and “Sea of Regeneration,” this year’s exhibition boasts increased participation from artists in neighbouring countries that share the same seas as Korea, with a different narrative presented in each section.

Image: installation view of Tales From the Wind, Litanies of the Sea, courtesy of the artists and Busan Biennale.