As the historic city of Gyeongju prepares to host APEC 2025, two prominent private museums are presenting remarkable exhibitions that demonstrate the richness and diversity of Korea's artistic heritage. The Wooyang Art Museum and Solgeo Art Museum, both designed by renowned Korean architects and located within a 15-minute walk of each other, are offering visitors unmissable exhibitions that bridge Korea's cultural legacy with contemporary artistic expression.
Gyeongju, which served as the ancient capital of the Silla Kingdom from 57 BC to AD 935, provides a fitting backdrop for these cultural presentations. The timing coincides strategically with the city's role as host for APEC 2025, allowing international visitors to experience Korea's artistic depth alongside the important economic summit.
The Wooyang Art Museum, established in 1991, is currently spotlighting the work of Nam June Paik, the Korean-born pioneer of video art. The museum houses 14 works by Paik and is presenting an exhibition titled "Nam June Paik: Humanity in the Circuits," which focuses particularly on the artist's creations from the 1990s. According to Lee Ji-woo, a curator at the museum, "Paik Nam-june saw technology as a medium for human expansion and envisioned an organic circuit where art and technology interact. The exhibition aims to offer an artistic platform to contemplate connection and innovation -- the core themes of APEC."
The centerpiece of the Wooyang exhibition features two exceptional works from Paik's monumental "My Faust" series. This comprehensive series consists of 13 video art pieces inspired by Goethe's "Faust," created between 1989 and 1991. The complete series was previously displayed at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea in 1992, after which individual pieces were acquired by various collectors, including the Wooyang Art Museum.
The museum acquired two significant pieces from the series: "My Faust: Spirituality" and "My Faust: Economics." These works have been stored in the museum's facility and are being displayed to the public for the first time in approximately 30 years, making this exhibition particularly special for art enthusiasts and scholars alike.
"My Faust: Economics" stands 3.1 meters tall and resembles an altar constructed from stacked television sets. The altar-like structure is adorned with world currencies and gleaming coins, creating a powerful commentary on the complex relationship between technology and capital in contemporary society. The companion piece, "My Faust: Spirituality," also takes an altar-like form but combines religious symbols with video elements, expressing Paik's desire to revive the human spirit that he believed was being lost in modern civilization.
The Wooyang Art Museum itself represents architectural significance, having been designed by Kim Jong-soung, a pioneering figure in Korean contemporary architecture. Kim holds the distinction of being the only Korean architect to have worked directly with Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, the influential pioneer of modern architecture, which adds another layer of cultural importance to the venue.
Meanwhile, the Solgeo Art Museum, founded in 2012, presents a different but equally compelling artistic experience. The museum was designed by Seung H-sang, a leading contemporary architect known for his "aesthetics of poverty" philosophy. The institution was established following a generous donation pledged by Park Dae-sung, a master Korean painter who has developed a distinctive artistic style and established a unique presence in the Korean art world.
Solgeo Art Museum opened its exhibition "Scent of Korea in Silla" on Wednesday, featuring works by four different artists, including Park Dae-sung himself. The exhibition includes a painting titled "Pensive," which was specially created by Park for APEC 2025, demonstrating the artist's engagement with this significant international event. As explained by Lee Jae-wook, the museum's curator, "Each artist featured at the exhibition interprets the spirit of Silla and the aesthetics of Buddhism from a different perspective, presenting a harmony of tradition and modernity, material and spirit."
The exhibition showcases diverse artistic approaches to Korean cultural themes. The Ven. Song Cheon, who practices Buddhist art, extends traditional Buddhist painting techniques into contemporary visual language, creating works that speak to both historical and modern audiences. Artist Kim Min contributes paintings that incorporate gold and silver leaf along with traditional pigments, creating pieces that resonate deeply with Gyeongju's rich historical context and the golden heritage of the Silla Kingdom.
Craft artist Park Sun-min adds another dimension to the exhibition through her glass installation works, which explore the cyclical relationship between environment and art. Her pieces contribute to the exhibition's theme of connecting past and present, showing how contemporary materials and techniques can express timeless cultural concepts.
These two exhibitions represent more than mere art displays; they serve as cultural ambassadors for Korea during an important international gathering. By presenting both cutting-edge video art that explores technology's role in human experience and traditional-inspired works that celebrate Korea's Buddhist and Silla heritage, the museums offer visitors a comprehensive view of Korean artistic achievement across different periods and mediums. The proximity of these two venues allows visitors to experience this full spectrum of Korean art within a single visit to historic Gyeongju.
