Antony Gormley / Tadao Ando, ‘Ground’ at Museum SAN

In June 2025 Museum SAN debuts Ground, the first collaboration between architect Tadao Ando and artist Antony Gormley. This subterranean space, embedded beneath the museum’s flower garden, explores the relationship between nature and the human condition – an interest central to both Ando and Gormley’s work. 

Designed as a cave facing northeast toward Wonju’s mountains, Ground features seven of Gormley’s ‘Blockworks’ sculptures within a 25-meter round chamber and the surrounding landscape. Natural elements like sunlight, wind, and distant sounds blend with architecture and sculpture to form a dynamic, immersive environment.

Entering at ground level and descending to an observation room, visitors first view the sculptures through glass. The figures, positioned in various poses, evoke introspection and emotional resonance. From there, curved hallways lead into the heart of the cave – a dome where viewers interact directly with the works, becoming participants in the space. The installation extends outdoors, where a solitary figure gazes at the horizon, inviting reflection and presence.

Museum SAN (Space Art Nature) was designed by Tadao Ando as a space where art and architecture can be experienced in harmony with the natural surroundings and changing seasons. The museum opened in 2013 and is located in the hills of the Oak Valley in Wonju, South Korea.