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Sun Xun

SUN XUN

Heroes and Magicians Arario Gallery 30 October–14 December 2024 Seoul
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Press Release

ARARIO GALLERY SEOUL presents Sun Xun’s (b. 1980) solo exhibition, entitled Heroes and Magicians, from October 30 (Wed) to December 14 (Sat), 2024. The exhibition offers a comprehensive view of Sun Xun’s artistic oeuvre, shaped by his exploration of various media and techniques, unified by a consistent thematic focus. As one of the most acclaimed contemporary Chinese artists, Sun Xun has held solo exhibitions at major museums across China, the United States, Europe, and Asia, solidifying his prominent presence on the international art scene. In recent years, his practice has centered on creating stop-motion animation films using hand-painted frames. Sun Xun meticulously paints dozens of frames per second to construct these animations. His animated films were featured in the 2016 exhibition at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York and gained international attention when showcased on the billboard in Times Square in 2017. Currently, Sun Xun is participating in the group exhibition Chine: A New Generation of Artists (2024–2025) at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and he is set to premiere a new work at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival, one of the world’s top three film festivals, in February next year. This exhibition marks Sun Xun’s first solo show in Korea in 7 years. Spanning 3 floors of ARARIO GALLERY SEOUL, it will feature his stop-motion animation films alongside original oil paintings and woodblock reliefs.

SUN Xun was born in 1980 in Fuxin, a mining city in northeastern China, and grew up in the aftermath of the Chinese Cultural Revolution. The socio-political environment he observed during his formative years inspired him to explore themes such as politics, culture, and memory within the context of world history. After graduating from the Printmaking Department of the China Academy of Fine Arts in 2005, he founded Pi (π) Animation Studio in 2006. SUN Xun has held solo exhibitions at renowned institutions, including Tank Shanghai (China, 2024), Vancouver Art Gallery (Canada, 2021), Museum of Contemporary Art Sydney (Australia, 2018), Saint Louis Art Museum (US, 2018), Yuz Museum (Shanghai, China, 2016), Hayward Gallery (London, UK, 2014), Minsheng Art Museum (Shanghai, China, 2010), The Drawing Center (New York, US, 2009), and Hammer Museum (Los Angeles, US, 2008). His work has also been featured in group exhibitions at prominent venues such as the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (New York, US), Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, US), Hermitage Museum (St. Petersburg, Russia), M+ Museum (Hong Kong), Minsheng Art Museum (Beijing, China), Power Station of Art Shanghai (China), Lehmbruck Museum (Duisburg, Germany), Seoul Museum of Art (Korea), Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei (Taiwan), and Vancouver Art Gallery (Canada).

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About the Artist

One of the most distinguished contemporary artists of his generation, Sun Xun (孙逊) deploys traditional Chinese ink painting and printing techniques to create drawings, paintings, animated films and installations of ambitious scale. Full of references to sources as diverse as Chinese mythology, European art traditions, literary classics and contemporary events, Sun Xun’s thought-provoking works expose historical and current-day consumption, exploitation and political corruption.

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Also Exhibiting at Arario Gallery

All Exhibitions
GROUP EXHIBITION
GROUP EXHIBITION The Other Measure Arario Gallery 10 July–5 September 2026 Shanghai
About the Gallery

ARARIO GALLERY SEOUL opened its doors in Sogyeok-dong in 2006. Since then, it has established its foothold as a leading contemporary art gallery in Korea and across Asia, continuing to be at the forefront of the international art scene through its efficient representation system and bold exhibitions. In March 2014, ARARIO GALLERY SEOUL relocated near the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. In April 2018, ARARIO GALLERY SEOUL RYSE HOTEL, a second exhibition space in Seoul, opened in the Hongdae area. Running concurrently with its primary location until November 2019, the project space aimed to mirror the experimental spirit of the neighbourhood through its innovative programming. In 2022, ARARIO GALLERY SEOUL ended its Sogyeok-dong era. However, the various experimentation and ventures carried out in the gallery’s previous spaces continue to shape its future at its current location in Wonseo-dong, which reopened in February 2023. Through the preemptive discovery of young artists, steady support of represented artists, and the realisation of meaningful and original exhibitions, ARARIO GALLERY SEOUL aims to continually grow and contribute to the growth of the contemporary art scene in Korea.

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Address
85, Yulgok-ro
Jongno-gu
Seoul
South Korea
Opening Hours
Tuesday – Saturday
11am – 6pm

Closed on Mondays, Sundays, New Year's and Chuseok holidays
(1)
Seoul 85, Yulgok-ro, Jongno-gu
Arario Gallery contemporary art gallery in Seoul South Korea
Arario Gallery
85, Yulgok-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
+82 2541 5701
http://www.arariogallery.com

Opening hours
Tuesday – Saturday
11am – 6pm

Closed on Mondays, Sundays, New Year's and Chuseok holidays
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