Kwon Byungjun: I Embrace You at Buk-Seoul Museum of Art

Robots, Refugees and the Question of the Stranger

When large numbers of Yemeni refugees arrived on Jeju Island in 2017, fleeing conflict and danger, their presence prompted anxiety and hostility from some South Korean residents. Artist Kwon Byungjun watched this unfold and began thinking deeply about the figure of the stranger — someone not easily accepted anywhere. From this starting point, he poses deceptively simple questions: Who are "we"? And how can we live together?

The resulting exhibition, Kwon Byungjun: I Embrace You, opens at SeMA, Buk-Seoul Museum of Art on 11 June 2026 and runs through 16 May 2027. It is a large-scale, multi-part project that uses robots, sound, workshops and educational programmes to explore difference, imperfection and the possibility of connection.

Imperfect Machines as Mirrors

At the heart of the show are Kwon's robots — human-like figures that are deliberately imperfect. They wobble, struggle with single steps and move with visible difficulty. Rather than presenting sleek, futuristic machines, the artist offers fragile beings that mirror our own clumsiness and vulnerability. In the human world, these robots would be strangers. Yet they keep moving forward, and they open their arms to offer hugs.

Over the course of the exhibition, the robots will perform a total of 1,534 times, creating an evolving ensemble of movement and sound. Performances run at regular intervals throughout the day, each lasting roughly ten minutes, with schedules varying by day of the week.

Sound as a Space of Encounter

Kwon's path to art ran through popular music. After studying sound in the Netherlands, he began building experimental electronic instruments and organising workshops where participants make instruments together and explore listening. He remains fascinated by sound's invisibility — its ability to travel freely and reach people in unexpected ways.

The exhibition brings together lullabies from distant countries, natural soundscapes and even AI-generated audio. Visually unrelated, these elements find harmony through listening alone. For Kwon, sound is a medium that gathers different beings and experiences without forcing them into a single narrative.

The Title and Its Questions

I Embrace You is taken from the artist's song Deep in My Mind, whose lyrics ask: "Who are you in my mind?" and "Who am I beside you?" These questions frame the exhibition as a space of mutual curiosity — a place where different beings wonder about one another and seek closeness. The answers, the work suggests, may be found not in grand declarations but in the simple act of reaching out a hand.

Public Programmes and Junior Docents

The exhibition is accompanied by a robust programme of events. An artist talk on 25 June 2026 features Kwon in conversation with poet Haam Seongho. In August, children aged nine to eleven can join Let's Be Docents!, a two-day programme led by Ju Myunghee of Sosohan Communication. From September through December, junior docents will present artwork stories, and in February 2027, Kwon himself will lead a workshop on making electronic instruments for children aged seven to twelve.

The show also features an Easy Read Guide narrated by a junior docent, available through online leaflets, and an artist interview video accessible on-site.

Curated by Han Noori with exhibition coordination by Choi Eunchong, I Embrace You positions the museum as a space for encountering difference — not as a threat, but as an invitation to imagine a richer collective life.