"The garden is where this retrieval of time past takes place... It is by dreaming himself into the garden that he reanimates the limbs of time, be it personal, historical, or geological time, for all these dimensions of the past come together in this half-acre of land, which is his extended body."
- Robert Pogue Harrison, Gardens: An Essay on the Human Condition, 2017
Despite its distinct placeness as 'the imperial palace of the Korean Empire' or 'the palace of Emperor Gojong,' Deoksugung in reality has continually transformed itself over time along political and social changes. Before it became the imperial palace of the Korean Empire (1897-1910), the site was once a private residence of one of Joseon's royal family, and became a temporary palace for the king during the Imjin War. After the Empire's end, Deoksugung was converted into a public park under Japanese colonial rule, and in 1963 after Korea's liberation, it was designated a historical site and has been preserved to this day. These transfigurations are fully reflected in Deoksugung gardens, in particular, the western-style garden located in front of Seokjojeon in more geometric style. While Gyeongbokgung, the main palace of the Joseon dynasty, was built from the beginning of the capital Hanyang based on pungsu principles, or geomancy, and through the traditional East Asian process of building the capital first and situating palaces, Deoksugung was constructed about 500 years after the foundation of Joseon at the center of the city that already went through some urbanization. Therefore, its geographic condition as well as the spatial layout including gardens are distinguished from those of previous examples. In particular, it can be compared with Changdeokgung in terms of the garden, as Changdeokgung, the complex originally built as a secondary palace, is known for its extensive rear garden appreciated for its harmonization with the natural setting achieved through the sublation of adding artificial elements to the original natural terrain, and for the resulting reflection of Koreans' attitude and aesthetics on nature. This fourth Deoksugung project takes the 'garden' as a medium in retrieving Deoksugung's times past and reminding oneself of its value in today's world.
In dictionaries, 'garden' is often defined as 'a plot of ground inside a house where small plants and flowers are cultivated.' In a broader view, however, it can be described as a 'man-made nature' or 'second nature.' In this way, the garden, among all things that are created by man, could be described as the best medium that connects man and nature. Furthermore, it is also a total embodiment of human values and spirit of the times on nature and culture. In the West, the emergence of civil society and the rise of the idea on public in the eighteenth century led to a decline in previous garden culture. Instead, a novel trend of parks began to spread. A park, or a public garden so to speak, is a 'modern invention' which premises upon a politically democratic society. In non-Western cultures where the term 'Westernization' has long been synonymous with 'modernization,' the concept of 'park' has often been perceived as one of many devices of civilization. And in this context, western-style parks began to be introduced when these cultures opened up their ports to foreign trade. Nevertheless, the period of 'modern' often unavoidably overlaps with that of 'colonization,' conjuring up a more negative image. And the same applies for parks. Therefore, in discussing the Deoksugung garden one must consider the ambiguity of Korea’s modernity, because Japanese colonial authority coercively converted Deoksugung and other royal palaces of the Joseon dynasty into public parks and instilled their park culture.
The title of the project, "Garden of Imagination," was inspired by the late Joseon dynasty's culture of 'uiwon (意園),' or a garden of one's mind. The literati of the eighteenth and the nineteenth century Joseon dynasty cultivated their own 'garden in imagination’ where they could express and enjoy elegant tastes at their will without any external restrictions. With a contemporary uiwon in mind, participating artists of this year's Deoksugung project contemplate on the garden's history, philosophy, and practices in order to create their own garden of various focuses and possibilities. Each work is distinguished from one another in its genre and medium. And it is rightful to say that a single work is itself an individual garden with its own story. But at the same time, these gardens interrelate with one another to create a bigger whole in harmony and tension. Traditionally, Korean gardens sought to more naturally connect itself to the wild nature outside the enclosure. This tendency to preserve and embrace the nature in its original form resulted in the minimization of artificial landscaping, allowing the visitors to enjoy the nature as it is and wander around more freely without any directed route. In this regard, the order of the following descriptions of individual works, in accordance with the works' meanings and messages, do not intend to bind the viewers in any way. The audience is free to ignore the order and slowly walk around the Palace, freely enjoying the works of various genres along the way.
