Editor’s notice
That is the second installment in a five-part sequence exploring the present state and way forward for Korean artwork collections and galleries in museums world wide. The sequence is supported by the Press Promotion Fund of the Korea Press Basis.
ZURICH — In Switzerland, the place many first encountered Korean popular culture via the Okay-drama “Crash Touchdown on You” — that includes iconic scenes filmed at Iseltwald, Jungfraujoch and the Munster Bridge — a unique type of Korean phenomenon took maintain this yr. Museum Rietberg in Zurich drew an unusually assorted viewers for “Hallyu! The Korean Wave,” a touring exhibition that ran from April to August and supplied a glimpse into how international perceptions of Korea are shifting.
On a typical August afternoon, the museum buzzed with an eclectic combine of holiday makers from aged subscribers wandered via the present with catalogues in hand to a dressing up fanatic lingered over the intricate folds of hanbok (conventional Korean apparel). Youngsters decked out in Okay-pop merch took selfies in entrance of multicolored mild sticks and idol costumes and their mother and father adopted an on-screen dance tutorial for PSY’s “That That,” whereas close by guests paused to examine Korea’s speedy modernization.
“We noticed this exhibition on Instagram,” stated Stray Youngsters followers Lena, 17, and Winona, 16, from Germany as they made their method via the galleries. “We got here for the idols, however we realized much more about Korea.”
That assembly of popular culture and custom is strictly what “Hallyu!” got down to obtain. Originated at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) and now touring via Boston, San Francisco, Zurich and shortly Canberra, the exhibition illustrates how Korean artwork exhibits worldwide are embracing popular culture, digital innovation and interactive experiences and broadening their attain as international curiosity in Korean tradition continues to develop.
“Hallyu! The Korean Wave” exhibition at Victoria & Albert Museum in London in 2022 integrated popular culture components comparable to “Squid Recreation” to make Korean tradition extra accessible and interesting for international audiences. Courtesy of Victoria & Albert Museum
Revolutionizing exhibition ideas
The exhibition drew reward for reshaping the best way Korean tradition is offered at museums, making it really feel speedy, related and accessible to international audiences.
For Rosalie Kim, V&A’s curator of the Korean assortment and lead curator behind “Hallyu!,” it was a chance to reimagine how Korea may very well be offered in Western museums — not as a relic of dynastic historical past or a footnote in international up to date artwork, however as a vibrant, residing tradition that speaks on to in the present day’s audiences.
“Up to now, exhibitions about Korea abroad are all concerning the superb previous — Goryeo, Joseon … However that is one thing very troublesome. It’s fairly area of interest and one thing troublesome that the viewers finds relatable,” Kim stated.
On the opposite finish of the spectrum, she defined, up to date Korean artwork “is totally globalized,” and sometimes fails to supply deeper perception into Korean society. “None of them are one thing that almost all guests are going to see and even when they go they don’t essentially carry an perception into Korean society in the present day.”
“Hallyu!” was designed to bridge that hole via Okay-pop, Okay-drama, magnificence developments, digital fandom and on a regular basis design.
“I believe the purpose of the exhibition was actually to make Korea accessible and relatable. It is a query that’s continually on my thoughts as a curator,” Kim stated. “We’re in a Western imperialistic establishment arrange within the nineteenth century (and) have a tiny assortment of Korea in comparison with that of China or Japan and it’s usually an art work assortment fairly than a type of strategic subject. So it’s very troublesome to characterize Korea in a Western museum.”
Moon Jar Gown by Korean designer Minju Kim was included in Victoria & Albert Museum’s “Hallyu! The Korean Wave” exhibition, showcasing how up to date Korean artists bridge conventional and fashionable components. Courtesy of Victoria & Albert Museum
The exhibit maps the rise of Korea’s popular culture phenomenon, starting with Korea’s speedy postwar transformation, utilizing archival images, posters and Nam June Paik’s video sculpture to set the stage. Then it strikes via the explosive rise of Okay-dramas and Okay-film, that includes costumes from “Squid Recreation” and a recreated set from “Parasite.”
Okay-pop and fandom tradition take middle stage with stage outfits worn by aespa and ATEEZ and an interactive dance problem, whereas the ultimate portion of the exhibit spotlights Korea’s magnificence and style industries, tracing cosmetics packaging from the thirteenth century to in the present day and presenting greater than 20 appears to be like by up to date designers from Korea and its diaspora — together with items worn by celebrities comparable to RM of BTS.
The exhibition overturns the same old cultural script, shifting Korea from the margins to the middle of the story.
“It was taking a look at [Korean pop culture] from a non-Western angle and reversing the angle on the concept that popular culture is one thing that’s the asset of the West,” the curator defined.
“Most museums with collections of Korean artwork [are] establishments which have an extended historic assortment. So I believe this exhibition was, for them, one thing very contemporary that took Korea to a unique angle, utilizing up to date content material to spotlight the previous… I believe that has modified the best way different museums began to take a look at their assortment.”
The ripple impact prolonged nicely past London. Following its profitable debut at V&A in 2022, the present traveled to the Museum of Positive Arts, Boston and the Asian Artwork Museum in San Francisco in 2024 and Museum Rietberg in Zurich this yr.
“Hallyu! The Korean Wave” at Museum Rietberg in Zurich options English typography styled to evoke the types of the Korean alphabet, Hangeul. Courtesy of Museum Rietberg
Localizing for Swiss viewers
At Museum Rietberg in Zurich, “Hallyu!” reset how the Swiss museum engages with Korea. It is just the second Korea-focused present within the establishment’s historical past.
“In actual fact, we solely had two exhibitions on Korea till now on this museum,” stated Khanh Trinh, curator for Japanese and Korean artwork at Rietberg. “The primary one (‘Korea — The Historical Kingdoms’) was 25 years in the past and it was additionally a touring exhibition on solely conventional Korean artwork.”
That present, organized with the Nationwide Museum of Korea, stood in distinction to the broad cultural sweep of “Hallyu!,” which Trinh noticed as a uncommon probability to attach up to date Korean popular culture with deeper historic and social roots.
“We thought that the idea is kind of attention-grabbing, as a result of it exhibits you Korea from a viewpoint that’s extra well-known in the present day — at the least right here in Europe or in Switzerland, individuals know now about Korea via Okay-dramas on Netflix or Okay-pop,” she stated.
“So we thought, this can be a good alternative to function Korea … in a extra complete method. It’s not solely the up to date standard tradition, but additionally the background of this standard tradition. And to emphasize on this hyperlink between standard tradition and the standard tradition and customs of Korea.”
To localize the Zurich presentation, Trinh integrated uniquely Swiss components. She reached out to Okay-pop cowl dance groups in Switzerland and included their movies reverse the museum’s personal playful remake of PSY’s “Gangnam Model” music video, filmed in entrance of its iconic Emerald pavilion. Within the Okay-drama part, stills from “Crash Touchdown on You” had been added to attract in curious native followers. She additionally up to date the exhibition with magazines that includes newer idols like Stray Youngsters, who weren’t included within the authentic London present.
A recreated rest room set from the award-winning movie “Parasite,” a part of “Hallyu! The Korean Wave” exhibition at Museum Rietberg in Zurich, Switzerland / Courtesy of Museum Rietberg
Different additions emphasised Switzerland’s historic hyperlinks to Korea.
“As a result of Switzerland belongs to these 4 nations (concerned within the Korean Conflict armistice monitoring), we’ve got a diary of somebody who was stationed in Panmunjeom within the Fifties,” she defined.
The exhibition additionally spurred deeper institutional engagement with Korean artwork at Rietberg, the place Korea has traditionally been underrepresented within the museum’s 32,600-object assortment, originated from non-European assortment of Eduard von der Heydt.
“That is the primary huge acquisition of the museum for Korean artwork,” Trinh stated proudly, referring to an 18th-century moon jar bought particularly for the exhibition. The unique V&A present had included a moon jar on mortgage from the British Museum, however Rietberg acquired its personal to higher anchor the historic narrative.
“We’re very pleased with this lovely piece of moon jar,” she added.
The touring exhibition will make its remaining cease on the Nationwide Museum of Australia (NMA) in Canberra this December.
“We are able to’t wait to welcome ‘Hallyu! The Korean Wave’ in December, in what will probably be an Australian unique for Canberra and a primary for the southern hemisphere. ‘Hallyu!’ is a giant, brilliant and daring exhibition that channels South Korea’s unbelievable artistic power, which has captured the creativeness of followers worldwide. Korea is breaking new floor in style, artwork, music, design, drama, cinema and expertise, and the exhibition captures this beautiful phenomenon,” NMA director Katherine McMahon stated.
“Earlier worldwide blockbusters on the Nationwide Museum in Canberra have proved extremely standard, and we’ve got little doubt that this present and the thrilling programming we’ve got deliberate round it is going to draw guests from throughout the nation and the area.”
There have been extra requests to mount this standard exhibit, given ever-increasing cultural energy of Korea, however Kim of V&A famous that the present has to return to an finish since some artifacts must return residence for the following exhibit, shedding new mild on Korean tradition on the V&A.
“I’ve to cease the tour as a result of I wanted the objects to return again for an additional undertaking. We proceed to have requests, however we won’t do,” Kim stated, hinting additional, newer explorations of Korean tradition on the museum.
