Byoung Soo Cho: Earth Works

The Coronet Theatre presents a major UK exhibition by Byoung Soo Cho, one of Korea’s most influential architects and a quietly radical voice in contemporary art and design. For three decades, Cho has built a practice grounded in the belief that materials speak – that stone, soil, wood and ink carry meaning beyond their surface.

First unveiled at Milan Design Week, Earth Works is a site-responsive installation unfolding throughout the Coronet’s historic interior. Cho’s work unfolds through active encounter, with audiences invited to move freely through the work – on stage, in the studio, and beyond – becoming part of a living, shifting environment. A newly composed soundscape, created specifically for this exhibition, deepens the experience.

On the main stage, Forest forms a layered landscape of canvases made with traditional Korean pigments derived from stone and soil, flowing and curving across textured surfaces in an aesthetic shaped by chance. In the studio, Land Divided offers a moment of pause, reflecting on the fragility of the earth and the urgency of coexistence. In the bar, Cho’s Mahk paintings capture gestures of movement and spontaneity, preserving the energy of their making.

Rooted in texture, atmosphere and lived experience, Cho’s work is a meditation on peace, humanity and our interdependence with the natural world, offering audiences a unique encounter with one of Korea’s most influential creative voices.