“IRIDIAN: The Elsewhere Within”
A solo exhibition by Aethereya opens at 333Gallery/Seoul
– A milestone presentation of the artist’s identity transformation and 25 years of work, unveiled in Korea for the first time
June 19 – July 19, 2025 | 333Gallery/Seoul
333Gallery/Seoul is pleased to present IRIDIAN: The Elsewhere Within, a solo exhibition by French artist Aethereya, on view from June 19 to July 19, 2025 in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul.
This exhibition marks a pivotal moment in the artist’s journey, as he transitions from his long-time identity Arche to his new name, Aethereya. It is both a declaration of artistic transformation and a rare opportunity to encounter, for the first time, the full spectrum of his 25-year practice—encompassing painting, sculpture, drawing, photography, and graphic narrative.
The Silent Realm, IRIDIAN, and the Elsewhere Within
Far more than a retrospective, this exhibition is a quiet passage—from one self to another—where the artist’s identity and inner cosmology converge.
The title IRIDIAN refers to a fictional language and imagined realm conceived by the artist over many years. Known as the Silent Realm, it is a kingdom without land or king—a symbolic and silent territory that transcends conventional narrative structure to serve as the conceptual and emotional backdrop of Aethereya’s body of work.
The Silent Realm first took visual form in a short test film produced by the artist in 2019. Since then, the narrative has expanded into a novel and is currently being developed as a feature-length animated film.
This exhibition presents, for the first time, the visual synthesis of that world. Paintings, video works, and sculptural forms are interwoven into a cohesive narrative space—one that invites viewers to step into the artist’s mythos through layered, symbolic language.
Machines of Memory, Images of Silence
Aethereya’s visual universe—shaped through years of reflection and artistic solitude—foregrounds silence over sound, and darkness over light. His use of deep black tones and complex layering constructs spaces that operate not merely as images, but as portals through which memory and perception connect to the inner world of the viewer.
His works function as what might be called “Machines of Memory”—not limited to personal experience, but operating as aesthetic mechanisms through which the meaning of identity, memory, and being may be reassembled in the context of today’s fragmented world.
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333Gallery/Seoul is deeply honored to present this landmark exhibition at a moment when the artist’s long-standing silence gives way to a richly integrated artistic voice.
To unveil the full arc of Aethereya’s practice—accumulated over 25 years and shown in its entirety for the first time—is a profound opportunity. More than an occasion for viewing art, this exhibition opens a threshold through which each viewer may begin their own quiet journey into “the elsewhere within.”
Exhibition Information
· Dates: June 19 (Thu) – July 19 (Sat), 2025
· Opening Reception: Saturday, June 21 at 5:00 PM
· Opening Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM (Closed on Sundays and Mondays)
· Venue: 333Gallery/Seoul (7-1, Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul)
· Instagram: @333gallery.kr
· Website: https://333gallery.kr