SEOUL, June 14, (SayArt) - In an exceptional move, the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea, is preparing to showcase the intertwined mythology and culture of ancient Greece and Rome in a four-year exhibition. This display, which runs from June 15, 2023, to May 30, 2027, will be located in the Ancient Greece and Rome Room on the third floor of the museum's Permanent Exhibition Hall. 

▲ Marble head of Laocoön, 16th-17th century reproduction of an ancient Greek/Roman original, Photo by Sims Green.The upcoming exhibition marks a departure from the norm. Unlike previous exhibitions since 2000, which have typically focused on either Greek or Roman culture, this one aims to offer a comprehensive examination of the relationships between these two foundational civilizations.

Featuring 126 artifacts, including a statue of Zeus and a portrait of Gaius Julius Caesar from the collections of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, Austria, the exhibition promises to provide visitors with an in-depth understanding of the core of Greek and Roman mythology and culture.

In an  interview with SayArt, Dr. Georg Plattner, Director of the Collection of Greek and Roman Antiquities/Ephesos Museum at the Kunsthistorisches Museum, shared his thoughts on the significance of these relics.▲ On the 14th, at the press conference held at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, Dr. Georg Plattner (Director of the Collection of Greek and Roman Antiquities/Ephesos Museum, Kunsthistorisches Museum is answering this question. Photo by Sims Green.

"For Europeans, these artifacts are the roots of our people. They hail from one of the most prosperous periods in European history," he said. "They've influenced not only the thoughts of Europeans but their entire lives. These pieces mark the origins of European culture, and I believe they will serve as an important axis in terms of world heritage."

 

▲ exhibition view, Separate But Inseparable; Mythology and Culture of Ancient Greece and Rome, Photo by Maria Kim.

The exhibition is organized into three main categories: 'The World of Myth', 'The World of Man', and 'The One Empire'. These divisions aim to provide a deep understanding of the themes and influences that have shaped these two ancient cultures.

▲ Marble portrait of Gaius Julius Caesar, Rome 1st century BC - 1st century AD, Photo by Sims Green.In a remarkable move, admission to this long-term exhibition is entirely free, making it an open invitation for everyone to explore the relationship between the ancient cultures of Greece and Rome and the formative beauty of their art.

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Maria Kim, sayart2022@gmail.com