The Garden of Gyegwanhwa: Bona Choi Soonim at Museo Civico della Paglia

The Garden of Gyegwanhwa: Le Jardin — Bona Choi Soonim

The solo exhibition by Korean artist Bona Choi Soonim, titled The Garden of Gyegwanhwa: Le Jardin, has opened at the Museo Civico della Paglia in Signa. The opening was attended by the artist, Mayor Giampiero Fossi, the parish priest Don Vincenzo Varriale and regional councillor Claudio Gemelli.

Organised by the municipal administration within the programme of the Festa della Beata Giovanna, the show aims to position the museum as a space for cultural exchange. The artist described the opportunity as an honour, explaining that her work stems from the belief that pain is part of existence. The garden she portrays functions as an inner Eden — a symbolic refuge intended to provide care and balance for the spirit.

The works create a dialogue between Eastern aesthetics and Western sensibilities, using visual language to evoke emotions beyond words. Mayor Fossi highlighted how the exhibition enriches the local area and demonstrates art’s unifying power, noting the evocative timing of the inauguration during the Easter period.

• Location: Museo Civico della Paglia, Signa
• Period: on view throughout April until early May
• Visitor tips: suitable for those seeking contemplative, cross-cultural artistic experiences; check the museum for opening hours and access details
• Why go: recommended for visitors interested in contemporary practices that blend tradition and personal reflection

The exhibition is a practical opportunity to engage with an artistic language that interweaves memory, care and visual suggestion — an invitation to explore how form and feeling intersect.