Artland: An Installation by Do Ho Suh and Children is an enchanting world of color and clay. It’s a fantastical ecosystem dreamed up by artist Do Ho Suh (born Seoul, South Korea, 1962) and his two young daughters.
As Artland circles the globe, from London to Seoul to Brooklyn, visitors are invited to add to its diverse species of plants and creatures and help imagine the possibilities of an alternate world.
Through May 5, Artland is making the Brooklyn Museum its home.
We hope you’ll visit this celebration of imagination—and add your own creations to the mix! Get acquainted with the landscape and a few of its inhabitants below.
First, let’s set the stage:
Artland is a series of islands, but there is one mainland.
Most things on Artland are gender neutral. There is no government or monarchy (though Slimes do have board meetings).
The sun is half coral pink, half jade blue. A dot in the middle blends the two colors to create sunlight. Rain is iridescent and if it rains at night, it glows.
Seasons last an entire year, and the climate has remained unchanged because all the creatures respect their home.
→ BOBBYGONG
Bobbygongs, a type of fungi, grow wherever they want.
Fruit grows inside the Bobbygong on a stalklike structure.
In autumn, the fruit rises from within the Bobbygong and is ready to be picked. Slimes collect the fruit and the hole closes back up.
The fruit is saved for winter, when it is hard to survive the cold.
→ SLIME
Current population: 999,567 (they keep multiplying)
Age: alive since the start of the universe
A slime year is approximately 221 human years.
Slimes are very expressive.
→ SPOCKY TREE
The Spocky Tree is a plant that can grow infinitely tall.
It drips out a radioactive poison from its stalks and thorns.
A great event happened when a Spocky Tree grew over a Toilet Tree and mutated—causing havoc.
All Spocky Trees have now been moved onto an uninhabited island as their poison mutates anything it touches.
There is no cure for this poison.
Did you visit Artland? Did you get your little loved ones (or yourself!) a Little Artist Kit? We want to see what you’re making at home! Share your pictures:
Brooklyn Museum
200 Eastern Parkway
Brooklyn, NY 11238
From top: The Toby Devan Lewis Education Center’s opening at the Brooklyn Museum, January 2024. (Photo: Matthew Carasella Photography); Artland: An Installation by Do Ho Suh and Children, 2022. © Do Ho Suh. Courtesy the artist and Lehmann Maupin, New York, Seoul, and London. (Photo: Prudence Cuming Associates, London); Images courtesy of Aami Suh and Omi Suh; The Toby Devan Lewis Education Center’s opening at the Brooklyn Museum, January 2024. (Photo: Matthew Carasella Photography)
Descriptions adapted from The Wonders of Artland by Aami and Omi Suh (ⓒ Aami Suh, Omi Suh and Do Ho Suh, all rights reserved 2022)
This installation is organized by Adjoa Jones de Almeida, Deputy Director for Learning and Social Impact; Sharon Matt Atkins, Deputy Director for Art; and Shamilia McBean Tocruray, Director of Education, with assistance from Jennie Tang, Executive Assistant to the Deputy Director of Art and the Director of Curatorial Affairs.
Special thanks to the Buk-Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA), especially Jaeim Joung, Curator; Dahyun Ko, Coordinator; Kiyoung Peik, Managing Director; Jooyoung Seo, Head of Curatorial Team; and Hanna L. Yoo, Curator.
Generous support is provided by Jane Hait and Justin Beal.
