[Opening] Genesis Kai Solo Exhibition Curated by Valentina Buzzi

​Genesis Kai
The Tension That Holds
Solo Exhibition
ArtVerse, Paris
27 February – 12 March 2026
Curated by Valentina Buzzi

​ArtVerse presents "The Tension That Holds," the first solo exhibition in Europe of Korean-Chinese artist Genesis Kai, and the unveiling of an entirely new body of work conceived specifically for the Parisian space. Through prints on hanji, moving images, and installations – including unique Joseon Dynasty antiquities from the artist’s grandfather's collection – the exhibition unfolds as a sustained reflection on meditation, continuity, and desire. 

​At the core of Genesis Kai’s practice lies Pothosophy, a conceptual framework developed by the artist to rethink desire as a structuring force of reality. Drawing from the ancient Greek notion of pothos and resonating with Neo-Confucian philosophy, Pothosophy understands desire as movement and relation, unfolding across multiple intensities within a shared field. This philosophical grounding informs both the visual language and the temporal architecture of the exhibition.

​The ground floor presents a series of unique prints on hanji, traditional Korean mulberry paper. Immersed within the landscapes built by the artist, figures gather, read, play, and wait within red-saturated landscapes, held in moments of shared attention. At the center of the space, an installation of Korean antiquities from the Joseon dynasty, drawn from the artist’s grandfather’s collection, introduces a continuity with the artist’s heritage, one that can be traced back to the traditional objects that occupy some of the prints, assembled in the likes of Chaekgado, traditional paintings depicting Korean scholars’ objects and libraries. 

​Descending into the basement, the exhibition becomes immersive. Sixteen video works unfold across screens, accompanied by traditional Korean music and a central installation which echoes the flowing of water as a symbol of circularity and meditative expansion. The space invites viewers into duration, dispersing attention across multiple temporal streams and reflective surfaces.

​The moving images are co-created through Genesis Kai’s dialogue with artificial intelligence (AI), which operates as an expanded perceptual field rather than a tool. This process mirrors Pothosophy’s understanding of desire as distributed across multiple frequencies, allowing continuity to take shape through relation, iteration, and sustained tension.

​The Tension That Holds invites viewers to remain with complexity, to experience tension as a productive condition, and to recognize continuity as something cultivated through presence, patience, and care.