Korea’s ‘moon house burning ’ tradition to illuminate Lee Bae’s Venice Biennale show
Every “Jeongwol Daeboreum,” or first full moon of the lunar new year, the crisp scent of burning pine branches, bamboo and straw wafts through villages across Korea.
The time-honored folk tradition, known as “daljip taeugi,” or “moon house burning,” involves igniting a massive wooden pyre to ward off evil spirits and pray for abundant harvests.
This year, a number of moon houses were set ablaze on Feb. 24. Among them, the spectacle in Cheongdo County, North Gyeongsang Province, stood out.
Staged by renowned artist Lee Bae in his hometown, this particular daljip was adorned with “hanji” (traditional Korean mulberry paper) pieces containing wishes gathered from around the world before it was set alight.
The entire ritual is set to take center stage at the 67-year-old’s upcoming solo exhibition during the Venice Biennale in April, held as one of 30
collateral events officially approved by the Biennale Foundation.
“La Maison de La Lune Brûlée” at the Fondation d’Entreprise Wilmotte in Venice will feature “Burning,” an immersive video documentation of the ceremony, alongside Lee’s contemplative charcoal canvas works and sculptures such as “Issu du Feu,” “Brushstroke” and “Inkstick.”
Over the past three decades, Lee has employed charcoal as his primary creative medium, paying homage to the profound spiritual symbolism embedded in the material that has been revered throughout East Asian culture as a guardian and purifier against malevolent forces.
For the artist, who grew up observing the daljip taeugi ritual in his hometown, the charcoal that is produced from the ceremony and is often taken home by villagers as an amulet left a lasting impression. His works accordingly highlight the material as a metaphor for the cycle of life and death, as well as communal sharing.
Last year, Lee’s towering stack of pine charcoal, “Issu du feu,” was installed at the Channel Gardens outside the Rockefeller Center in New York City as part of “Origin, Emergence, Return,” an exhibition showcasing three generations of Korean art — Park Seo-bo, Lee and Jin Meyerson. Standing at 6.5 meters tall, this wooden sculpture marked the first Korean piece to be featured in the city’s iconic botanical promenade.