Experience the sensation of walking barefoot in a grand palazzo at Milan Design Week's installation
News Article: Byoung Cho's Installation Challenges Land Ownership at Milan's Palazzo Litta
Byoung Cho's installation, titled "Nobody Owns the Land: Earth, Forest, Mahk", is making a significant impact at Milan's Palazzo Litta during Design Week. The installation, presented by Moscapartners, invites visitors to contemplate the relationship between humans and nature, land ownership, migration, and the shared connection to the earth.
Located in the central courtyard of the Palazzo Litta, the installation is a visually striking and thought-provoking piece. It consists of a low, geometric shape filled with bright red soil, and around it, abstract paintings by Cho that resemble 'trees in a forest'. Above the red flooring, the phrase "Nobody Owns the Land" is displayed in both English and Korean, aiming to create a sanctuary in harmony with the sky of Palazzo Litta, delivering a message of peace.
Byoung Cho, a Korean architect, explains that his inspiration comes from a strong interest and belief in the Earth, nature, and the Korean concept of mahk. Mahk is a traditional Korean concept that celebrates the act of creation without adhering strictly to dogmatic principles, and it is central to the installation. The experience of the Earth is intended to encourage reflection on the essence of land beyond occupation and ownership.
The phrase "Nobody Owns the Land" emphasizes a critique of conventional land ownership, underscoring the idea that land, earth, and forests belong collectively and intrinsically to all beings rather than individuals or states. The addition of "Mahk" links the installation to Byoung Cho’s cultural background and deepens the conversation about indigenous and traditional views of the land as a shared, living entity.
The installation also addresses themes of migration and displacement, reflecting current global conversations around movement and belonging. It creates a contemplative space for visitors to consider the human impact on ecosystems and the disruptions caused by migration—both forced and voluntary—while symbolically connecting the earth beneath one’s feet to the broader, shared environment.
The exhibition at Palazzo Litta, titled "Nobody Owns the Land: Earth, Forest, Mahk", is a collective work by Moscapartners, featuring a site-specific installation by Byoung Cho. The installation's material form showcases the pure craftwork of a human creator, emphasizing the imperfection inherent in the creation process, similar to a potter's finger marks on mahksabal.
Byoung Cho's work is culturally significant as it challenges contemporary notions of land ownership, grounds human identity and migration experiences within the natural world, highlights indigenous and traditional relationships to earth and forest, and invites an immersive, sensory experience through direct contact with natural materials.
This installation aligns with broader contemporary architectural and artistic explorations that focus on sustainability, ecological awareness, and social issues, making it particularly poignant at Milan Design Week, a global stage for reflecting cultural and environmental values through design.
In addition, a showcase designed to address the needs of blind and visually impaired people is invaluably complementing the pieces presented at Palazzo Litta. Byoung Cho, a Korean architect, is presenting his first work in Italy through this exhibition.
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- Byoung Cho's installation at Milan's Palazzo Litta, titled "Nobody Owns the Land: Earth, Forest, Mahk," extends its conversation beyond contemporary notions of land ownership to the realms of home-and-garden, encouraging a reconsideration of our relationship with the earth as a shared, living entity.
- The installation's integration of natural materials like red soil and abstract paintings resembling trees invites contemplation about our collective stewardship of the land, creating a peaceful sanctuary that aligns with the home-and-garden lifestyle, fostering harmony between humans and nature.
