James Turrell: The Return
Sitting on the third floor of Pace Gallery Seoul, in front of a James Turrell piece, I find myself wanting to close my eyes—not out of fatigue, but to absorb more deeply. The darkness before me opens into portals of colored light, each beam subtly expanding the space itself. Yet somehow, I’m more attuned to everything surrounding it: the sound of toes brushing against leather-strapped sandals with rubber souls, engines revving on the street below, cicadas screaming just beyond the walls. And then, the squishy sound of me rubbing my own eyes—trying to keep them comfortable as the light slowly shifts and evolves.
On the second floor, what appear to be still photographs echo the installation above. One work in particular shifts in color and shape depending on your movement—my favorite in this presentation. A side room splits in two: one space holding a circle, the other a rectangle, each form embedded into the wall and washed in glowing spectrums of color. Familiar, and quietly relieving.
Downstairs on the first floor, I’m met with pieces I’m less familiar with—prints resembling planetary craters, diagrams, and what feel like bird’s-eye renderings of imagined worlds. Off to the side, an oval pulses with evolving light, and a small architectural model—presumably of a site-specific work near Seoul—reminds me that Turrell’s practice reaches far beyond gallery walls.
Please note that the exhibition is by reservation only, and photography is not permitted in most areas. You can make a reservation through the Naver booking link.
PACE GALLERY
267 Itaewon-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Open: Tuesday–Saturday
Hours: 10 AM–6 PM
