The Kansong Art Museum, under the leadership of Director Chun In-Keon, is set to introduce its first-ever immersive media art exhibition, offering a fresh perspective on Korea's rich cultural heritage. This groundbreaking exhibition, titled “When the Clouds Clear, the Moon Shines, the Wind Blows, and the Stars Shine,” will be hosted at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Seoul from September 15, 2024, through April 30, 2025.
This exhibition is a milestone for the Kansong Art Museum, as it marks the first time that its extensive collection of Korean art has been transformed into a digital experience. The exhibition will feature 99 iconic works, including national treasures, reinterpreted through cutting-edge digital technology, allowing visitors to engage with Korea's traditional art in a multi-sensory environment.
The title of the exhibition, “When the Clouds Clear, the Moon Shines, the Wind Blows, and the Stars Shine,” is inspired by a phrase written by the museum's founder, Jeon Hyung-pil, after Korea's liberation. This phrase symbolizes the exhibition's aim to shed new light on Korea’s cultural heritage, providing a deeper understanding of the nation’s traditions and artistic achievements.
Spanning a 1,462-square-meter space, the exhibition includes eight large galleries and two intermission spaces, designed to blend traditional art with modern innovation. Visitors will experience a dynamic journey through Korean history, witnessing the creation of the Hangeul script amid a cosmic explosion, the breathtaking landscapes of Gwandong, and the serene compassion of Buddha. The exhibition brings to life these flat artworks in three dimensions, with brushstrokes that dance across the space and the changing seasons of Mount Geumgang unfolding in an instant.
One of the most distinctive features of this exhibition is its interactive design, which responds to visitors' movements and actions. The space is equipped with kinetic art, motion graphics, and Lidar sensors, ensuring that each step taken by the audience triggers new visual and sensory experiences.
Notable Korean media artists and directors have collaborated on this project to create a vivid reimagining of these cultural treasures. Highlights include the Hunminjeongeum Haeryebon gallery, directed by Cho Young-wook, and the galleries featuring Shin Yun-bok’s Portrait of a Beauty and Kim Jeong-hui’s calligraphy, among others. The exhibition also integrates fragrance as an artistic element, with perfumers crafting scents that complement the visual experience, such as the mysterious aura of the Portrait of a Beauty and the subtle notes of narcissus in Kim Jeong-hui’s gallery.
This exhibition is the inaugural event of Kansong Art Museum's new media brand, "Immersive K," which aims to globalize Korea's cultural heritage through innovative media presentations. During a press conference held on the 13th at DDP, Director Chun stated, “Ten years ago, Kansong Art Museum introduced digital media content at the DDP opening exhibition ‘Jeon Hyung-pil.’ Since then, we have been striving to bring our cultural assets closer to the public. This first media exhibition is a significant step in opening a new chapter for Kansong, as it launches the Immersive K brand.”
The exhibition will be closed on Mondays, except for public holidays, with visiting hours from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tickets can be reserved through Interpark Ticket.
Sayart / Maria Kim, sayart2022@gmail.com
