Little Toad, Little Toad: Unbuilding Pavilion
February 6–April 5, 2026
3 Dongsung-gil
Seoul 03087
South Korea
Hours: Tuesday–Sunday 11am–7pm
Little toad, little toad / I will give you an old house / In return for a new house. Little toad, little toad / Go fetch some water / I will build your house. Little toad, little toad / Your house is on fire / Wend your way here with a pitchfork.
The Korean Pavilion at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale marks the thirtieth anniversary of the pavilion’s construction, revisiting its history through the lens of “home.” Rather than treating the pavilion as a neutral exhibition venue, this exhibition considers it an organic entity layered with multiple meanings, tracing its origins while exploring possible futures. Through research and visual materials, the exhibition reconsiders the pavilion as a living structure that continues to evolve.
The traditional Korean children’s song “Little Toad, Little Toad (Dukkeoba, Dukkeoba)” serves as the exhibition’s metaphorical framework. Sung while shaping the earth in play, it recalls the primordial form of the grotto, an archetype predating architectural typologies. The toad, a hidden narrator throughout the exhibition, symbolizes change and regeneration, recalling the shared heritage of the Giardini—its trees, soil, sky, and sea. The lyrics’ contrast between “old house” and “new house” evokes the temporal threshold of the pavilion at its thirtieth year, while the fire threatening the house calls attention to crisis—prompting reflection on the Venice Biennale itself within global urgencies such as climate change. To illuminate the history and position of the Korean Pavilion is, therefore, to examine the cultural and political dimensions of the national pavilion system—and to imagine its future forms of renewal.
The homecoming exhibition at Arko Art Center in Seoul, curated by CAC, is newly composed for a different context from Venice. The first-floor galleries present archival materials and critical reinterpretations of the pavilion’s architectural and curatorial histories, functioning simultaneously as a space for discussion and public programs. The second floor examines how participating artists interpreted the conditions of the pavilion and expanded them beyond national frameworks. Site-specific installations conceived in Venice are reconfigured to reveal their conceptual processes and strategies, inviting audiences to experience the exhibition through multiple interpretive pathways.
Artistic director/curator: CAC (Curating Architecture Collective: Chung Dahyoung, Kim Heejung, Jung Sungkyu). Architects/artists: Kim Hyunjong (ATELIER KHJ), Lee Dammy (Flora and Fauna), Heechan Park (Studio Heech), Young Yena (Plastique Fantastique). Commissioner: Arts Council Korea. Partner: IKEA Korea. Sponsorship: Samsung Foundation of Culture, JOOSUNG DESIGNLAB, JUNGLIM ARCHITECTURE, PNL Co., Ltd. / KIM, SEOK WOO, HAEAHN Architecture, Inc, Gansam Co.,Ltd, SPACE GROUP, THE_SYSTEM LAB, DUOMO, J.archiv. Technical Support: LG OLED AI, LG StanbyME. Scenography supported by: VOLA. Collaborator: LUSH. Supporters: BCHO Architects Associates, ONE O ONE architects, Harper’s BAZAAR Korea, WOOYOUNGMI.
