At ‘Aqua Paradiso’, Korean Artists Reimagine Water Amid Climate And Plastic Crisis

At first glance, the hundreds of glass bottles arranged across the gallery appear beautiful. Filled with colourful fragments that shimmer under the light, they resemble carefully curated art objects.

But South Korean eco-artist Eunhae Jung tells you a far more troubling story. "The fragments inside the bottles are microplastics collected from the sea — tiny remnants of human consumption that have entered oceans, coastlines and marine ecosystems across the world," she says about the growing environmental crisis.

The bottles are part of her work ‘Ocean Tears’, one of the central works in Aqua Paradiso, a contemporary art exhibition currently on display at the Korean Cultural Centre India (KCCI) in New Delhi.

The exhibition, which opened on June 16, seeks to reimagine water not merely as a resource but as a living ecological presence that connects people, cultures and ecosystems.

"When people see the bottles filled with marine plastic, they often comment on how 'pretty' they are. It is heartbreaking to hear," says Jung, an eco-artist, art therapist and director of the environmental collective ecoOrot. For her, the reaction reflects humanity's growing disconnect from nature and its tendency to overlook the environmental cost of modern lifestyles.

At the centre of ‘Ocean Tears’ are bird nests woven from discarded fishing nets and branches.

"The bird nests made from nets show the linked destinies of forests and seas. Today, we increasingly find plastic strings in the nests of forest birds and numerous fragments of plastic and netting in the nests of many seabirds," Jung explains, highlighting how plastic pollution is no longer confined to beaches and oceans. It has spread into forests, rivers, agricultural lands and food chains. Wildlife is increasingly adapting to environments shaped by human waste.

Through her work, Jung suggests that the climate crisis and plastic pollution are deeply intertwined. Rising temperatures, biodiversity loss and contamination of ecosystems are all symptoms of an unsustainable relationship between people and the natural world.

The exhibition itself is an attempt to broaden conversations around water. Organised under the Touring K-Arts programme supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange, Aqua Paradiso views water not merely as an object of management but as a sensory and ecological subject.

Korean artist Kwon Hyewon’s media installation “Liquid Vision” imagines rivers not simply as natural environments but as a form of media, exploring the intersections of sensation and technology through the flow from water sources to valleys, wetlands and reservoirs. Through this process, the work raises questions about how audiences perceive media and nature while suggesting new possibilities.

At the same time, BOO Jihyun, also a Korean artist, is known for installation works that recycle discarded squid fishing lamps formerly used on fishing boats. In the exhibition work “Where is it going?", the artist visually interprets the meanings of circulation, meditation and recycling while connecting discarded materials with the flow of nature.

Jung's ‘Plastic Mandala’ uses plastic fragments collected from beaches to create a mandala symbolising interconnectedness, responsibility and hope.

Speaking at the inauguration, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to India, Lee Seong-ho, highlighted the shared cultural significance of water in both countries.

"What makes this exhibition especially meaningful is that this way of seeing water is deeply shared by both Korea and India. In both our cultures, water is not only valued for its utility but also for its spiritual and symbolic significance."

“In India, as I understand, water holds deep spiritual and cultural significance. From purification rituals and sacred offerings to the belief that a holy dip in the Ganges can purify the soul, water remains deeply embedded in the daily life of Indian households."

"In this sense, ‘Aqua Paradiso’ is not only an exhibition of Korean contemporary art but also a meaningful platform for dialogue and connection between Korea and India through art."

The opening ceremony was attended by several prominent figures, including Dr. Sanjeev Kishor Goutam, Director General, National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA); Park Sang-hee, Director of the National Asian Culture Center Foundation; Sudhanshu Mittal, President of the Kho-Kho Federation of India; Kalicharan Gupta, Indian artist; Manisha Swami, Deputy Director General, Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR); Ashish Pandey, Chief Editor, Navbharat Times; and Saumya A. Sharma, Head of School, Arwachin Bharati Bhawan Senior Secondary School.

Speaking on the occasion, Hwang Il Yong, Director of Korean Cultural Centre India, said, "Through this exhibition, I hope the people of our two countries, united by shared cultural values and a deep respect for nature – particularly water – will deepen their understanding of one another’s cultures and further strengthen their friendship."

For Jung, the exhibition is ultimately about reminding people that water is not an inexhaustible resource. It is the foundation of life itself.

The exhibition runs till August 19, 2026.