49m2 Summer: Ahn Sung Hwan

From June 20 to September 22, Ahn Sung Hwan will be Artist in Residence of the 49 square meters in the Zaartpark in Breda. The 49m2 project is a long-term research into public space set up by Gerrit-Jan Smit in collaboration with Witte Rook. Each working period is concluded with a publication on the Witte Rook online platform. You can also visit the project 49m2 during the whole period at any time.

Ahn Sung Hwan is conducting in-depth research on the subject of the contemporary survival strategy of individuals. All living things instinctively try to survive. However, what does it mean to survive? Ahn Sung Hwan’s practice begins with a fundamental question about survival, and his works are a byproduct of his desperate efforts to survive somehow.

In Zaartpark Breda you can find a demarcated piece of land with a surface area of ​​49m2, where the municipality of Breda will no longer carry out maintenance for the next 20 years. According to the agreement concluded with artist Gerrit-Jan Smit, anyone can intervene within these 7 x 7 meters, except the local government. Every season an artist is invited to observe the place in relation to the environment, the passers-by and their own practice. In 2022, this will be the sixth year with the artists Mandy den Elzen (winter), Axel Coumans (spring), Ahn Sung Hwan (summer) and Ursa Prek (autumn).