National Gallery opens Haegue Yang’s Changing From From To From with announcement of major new acquisition

The opening of Haegue Yang: Changing From From To From at the National Gallery of Australia this Saturday 27 May will be celebrated with the acquisition of two major works by Yang.

Constantly on the move, the Seoul- and Berlin-based artist Haegue Yang continually seeks out uncharted narratives, processes, and materials, combining industrial objects and intensive, craft-based techniques to produce immersive and engaging works of art. The National Gallery invites visitors to experience Yang’s recent works that explore interconnectivity and movement.

Among others, Changing From From To From showcases two works which are newly acquired for the national collection. Sonic Intermediates – Three Differential Equations (2020) is a sculptural ensemble of three Sonic Sculptures, and Non-Linear and Non-Periodic Dynamics (2020), an expansive wallpaper specifically adapted to the display at the National Gallery.

Russell Storer, Head Curator, International Art said the acquisitions strengthen the Gallery’s Asian contemporary art collection and continue the Know My Name gender equity initiative.

‘Yang’s multimedia environments combine everyday materials and found objects in surprising ways. Her works make connections between the divergent worlds of contemporary mass production, ancient cultural traditions, and natural phenomena,’ Storer said.

The trio of sculptures that make up Sonic Intermediates – Three Differential Equations (2020) will be activated periodically, filling the space with a ritualistic rattling of bells. The sculptures each allude to a pioneering modern artist – Barbara Hepworth, Naum Gabo, and Li Yuan-chia – with a line from Li’s poetry providing the exhibition’s title.

The ‘differential equations’ in the title of the sculpture trio refers to calculations of the movement of objects or energy flows. Such human attempts to map natural forces are also a theme of Yang’s wallpaper Non-Linear and Non-Periodic Dynamics 2020, which is inspired by mathematician Edward Lorenz’s use of differential equations to model the chaotic behaviour of weather. The wallpaper’s imagery of crashing water and spiralling motion conjures up continually shifting and increasingly unpredictable environmental conditions.

For the presentation of the wallpaper at the National Gallery, Yang has included motifs of Kurrajong trees, Bogong moths, local water related elements and a canoe tree, which were incorporated in consultation with Paul Girrawah House, Ngambri (Walgalu)/Wallaballooa (Ngunnawal)/Pajong (Gundungurra)/Wiradjuri (Erambie) peoples.

Haegue Yang: Changing From From To From is free to visit and on display at the National Gallery in Kamberri/Canberra from 27 May to 24 Sep 2023. Sonic Intermediates – Three Differential Equations (2020) will be activated each Saturday at 11am, 12pm, and 1pm.

Curators: Russell Storer, Head Curator, International Art and Beatrice Thompson, Associate Curator, Asian and Pacific Art

EVENTS
Haegue Yang in Conversation with Russell Storer
Sat 27 May 2023, 11am-12pm | free, bookings essential
Join Haegue Yang in conversation with Russell Storer (Head Curator, International Art) to celebrate the opening of her exhibition Changing From From To From. This event is available onsite and online, and a 10-minute recorded version will be released on-demand following the event.

Art Lab – Interconnections
Sat 3 Jun 2023, 1pm | free, bookings essential | ages 13+
Join artist Jessika Spencer, Wiradjuri People in a multisensory textile sculpture making workshop inspired by Yang’s exhibition Changing From From to From. Create a multisensory, hanging textile sculpture using diverse materials such as cotton, shells, bells and gum nuts, combined through Australian First Nations weaving techniques.

Saturday Screenings: Dear Pyongyang
Sat 24 Jun 2023, 2pm | free, bookings essential
The Korean documentary Dear Pyongyang (2025), directed by Yang Yong-hi, will be screened at the James Fairfax Theatre, National Gallery of Australia. Russell Storer (Head Curator, International Art) and Beatrice Thompson (Associate Curator, Asian and Pacific Art) will provide a brief introduction to the film and its connection to ideas in Haegue Yang’s work. This film screening is presented in partnership with National Film and Sound Archive of Australia.

Saturday Screenings: Death by Hanging
Sat 26 Aug 2023, 2pm | free, bookings essential
The Japanese New Wave film Death by Hanging (1968), directed by Nagisa Ōshima, will be screened at Arc Cinema, National Film and Sound Archive of Australia. Russell Storer (Head Curator, International Art) and Beatrice Thompson (Associate Curator, Asian and Pacific Art) will provide a brief introduction to the film and its connection to ideas in Haegue Yang’s work. This film screening is presented in partnership with National Film and Sound Archive of Australia.

Art Steps for Haegue Yang
Daily, Sat 1 – Sun 16 Jul, 11am & 12.30pm | free, bookings encouraged
In this Art Steps, inspired by Haegue Yang’s artistic approach, you will create abstract sculptures, playing with movement, colour and sound. We will use everyday materials and craft techniques to create objects that transform, create sound and may represent multiple aspects of someone we admire. Places are limited and booking is encouraged. Children of all ages are welcome and must be accompanied by a parent/carer.

Art Lab Butterfly effect | Digital Grid Drawing
Sat 22 Jul 2023, 10am | free, bookings essential | ages 13+
Inspired by Haegue Yang’s work, join digital artist and visual arts educator April Phillips, Galari-Wiradjuri people, in an online Art lab. This workshop will cover the basic steps to create a digital artwork using glyphs to construct fo.rm, movement and layers that reflect on the impact our actions have.

Scientific views: Professor Joan Leach on Haegue Yang
Fri 15 Sep 2023, 11am | free, bookings essential
Join Professor Joan Leach for a floor talk in Haegue Yang's solo exhibition Changing From From to From. Professor Leach will discuss Yang’s work as a way of seeing science in various social encounters. She will outline how Yang references scientific theories of movement and change, inspired by the artist’s interest in chaos theory and the ‘butterfly effect’.

IMAGES
available here

EXHIBITION BROCHURE
available here

MEDIA ENQUIRIES
Kirsty Noffke
Communications Manager
P +61 2 6240 6756 M +61 401 090 089 E kirsty.noffke@nga.gov.au