Asia: the Earth, Men, Gods

Impermanence is one of the founding principles of Buddhist philosophy. It means that nothing is immutable. In other words, everything is constantly moving. We must therefore adapt to the inevitable changes in our environment. And consequently review our certainties, our behaviors and our habits. Impermanence is as old as time in Asia and still relevant today.

The theme takes on its full meaning in the dialogue between Fausto Godoy’s collection of classical Asian art and the works of Asian contemporary artists. Aika Videos library / Aika virtual museum / DSL Video of moving landscape / Jisoo virtual interaction / Jisoo performances illustrate this moving process. Everything is always in motion.

Living in harmony with the notion of impermanence does not mean condemning yourself to despair and depression, it means remembering daily the miracle and the beauty of this life that is offered to us. No one knows when they will leave this world. The invitation is therefore to fully savor all the blessings of existence while we still can. There is no time to waste in rejoicing and celebrating life.

The wabi-sabi Japanese concept, a pillar in Fausto’s Godoy’s collection, celebrates the beauty of imperfection and impermanence, a reflection of the cycle of life. It is a principle according to which harmony lies in naturalness and spontaneity and not in the absence of defects. Thus, asymmetry, impermanence, imbalances, incomplete shapes and breaks come to sublimate things. Wabi-sabi is the fullness that we feel when we contemplate a natural landscape, an irregular-looking terracotta bowl or even when we savor a wine that has improved over the years.

Géraldine Lenain
Curator

The arrival of the Asian collection at MON years ago elevated the Oscar Niemeyer Museum (MON) to the level of major international museums. The exhibition "Asia: the Land, the Men, the Gods", which presents a cross-section of this collection, donated by diplomat Fausto Godoy, has already been reformulated and has toured the interior of the state of Paraná, reaching thousands of people. 

Now, in a bold and unique way, the exhibition is being renewed with the aim of reaching an ever wider audience, further democratizing access to this rich collection.

We see the museum as a living, dynamic space with an eternal exchange between visitors, artists and curators. This time, MON's intention is to bring about a dialog between classical Asian art and contemporary artists from that continent. 

Contemporary art seeks to show us that there can always be beauty in imperfections and processes. We are all in constant mutation and art is a path towards the shifting balance that is life. 

How to be in harmony with impermanence is the proposal of this intervention at the Asian show. Among other new features, the public will find immersive real-time experiences, an interactive video library, a video installation and a "Virtual Museum" with 16 works by 12 Asian artists. In this way, MON maintains its premise of offering unique and transformative experiences to visitors.

Competed for by other institutions in Brazil and by collectors from abroad, MON's Asian collection consists of 3,000 pieces of art and, when it arrived, provoked a discussion about the definition of a new curatorial line by the Museum's cultural council. 

This was when space was opened up in the collection, with an emphasis also on Asian, African and Latin American art, in line with the great museums of the world, making it distinct from the Eurocentric tendency that dominates Western culture.

A museum exists on the basis of its collection, but it is through the interaction between the public and its works that culture and knowledge are disseminated, assets that make us more human.

Juliana Vellozo Almeida Vosnika 
CEO of the Oscar Niemeyer Museum

Interactive experience.

Maximum number of people: 3.

Duration of the experience: 5 minutes.

Safety guidelines:

1. minimum age: 13 years.

2. The experience is not recommended for people with the following health conditions: nausea, dizziness, balance or mobility problems, seizures, epilepsy, heart problems, anxiety or other medical problems sensitive to immersive experiences.

3. The activity takes place standing up.

4. Use of virtual reality glasses:

- Sanitize your hands before and after using the equipment;

- Make sure the goggles are adjusted correctly for clarity and comfort;

- Proper adjustment of the equipment should not cause pressure on the head and face.

5. Warning: if you feel discomfort, dizziness, nausea or any other symptom, remove the equipment and stop the activity immediately.

6. Secure loose items, such as bags or glasses, to prevent them from falling or being damaged during the experiment.

7. During the activity, loss of spatial awareness may occur. Observe the safety limits of the space and avoid sudden or large movements so as not to hit other visitors.

I am a South Korean artist currently living in Paris. 

This is an interactive installation called "je(u)." In French, "je" means "I," while "jeu" means "game," thus creating a double meaning. 

In this project, the "I," often perceived as solid both physically and psychologically, becomes fluid, transient, ephemeral, and ghostly. 

When visitors enter the detection zone of the installation, they initially see their own image before them. However, shortly after, this image begins to dissolve and gradually transforms into particles. These fragments of ourselves remain in the virtual space even after we leave, merging with others, transforming, creating new forms and landscapes, and interacting with each other. 

The traces of ourselves persist in the virtual space, where the program collects the colors of visitors' clothes. As a result, the colors of the particles gradually change according to the colors of the participants' clothes. 

The visitors' movements generate a dance of particles in the virtual world. The traces left by others communicate with the visitor, blending into each other. Each of us extends into the other, and each of them lives partly within us. 

There is no clear boundary between "you" and "me". Thus, "je (me)" becomes "jeu (game)", because the definition of the self emerges through interaction. Identity becomes a social and cultural game. 

The concept of self becomes an improvisation with elements external to us, within a limited scenario, similar to the society in which we live. This "jeu (game)" of "je (me)" is at the same time our reality and an illusion. We become an illusory spectacle that continually evolves, disappears and recreates itself. 

At the same time, everything we see in this installation is ultimately a mirage, an image shaped by the interpretation of the brain and the limits of perception. I wanted to create a project of an ephemeral nature, constantly evolving, that speaks of many things while simultaneously saying nothing, like a game.

Jisoo Yoo