THE Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines (KCC Philippines) and the National Museum of Korea kicked off over the weekend a months-long landmark art exhibition designed to broaden and deepen the Filipinos’ appreciation of Korean culture.
Titled Endless Landscape: Digitally Reimagined Korean Art, the show opened on January 19 and will run until June 29 at the fifth floor of the Multipurpose Hall of the KCC Philippines building along Bayani Road in Taguig City. The show aims to build on the strong following of many Filipinos on K-pop and Korean television programs, featuring four traditional Korean paintings reimagined as immersive video works using new digital technologies.
“I hope that this exhibition focusing on digital content, which goes beyond conventional artifact-centered exhibitions, will serve as a unique opportunity to introduce Korean culture to the Filipino public,” said Yoon Sung Yong, director general of the National Museum of Korea.
The exhibit serves as the first outcome in the Philippines of the National Museum of Korea’s Overseas Korean Galleries Support Program, an effort of the museum to broaden the reach of K-culture worldwide. The overseas support program is customized to fit the local characteristics of different countries around the world.
In the Philippines, the absence of Korean galleries or museums housing Korean cultural heritage makes it difficult for the local audience to experience traditional Korean cultural content. As such, Endless Landscape: Digitally Reimagined Korean Art veers away from the constraints of hosting artifact-centered exhibitions and employed a digital approach to convey the stories of Korean cultural heritage to Filipinos in a vibrant and engaging manner.
The exhibition presents four video reinterpretations of traditional Korean paintings, produced by the National Museum of Korea and the Chuncheon National Museum. An expansive panorama of digital screens takes the audience into the transcendental worlds of the featured pieces, creating a deep sense of immersion that brings to life the rich tapestry of the unique landscapes, ambience and history embodied within traditional Korean paintings.
One of the showcased video works, titled Endless Mountains and Rivers: A Prosperous World Unfolds in Nature, is based on Endless Mountains and Rivers by Yi Inmun (1745-after 1824), a royal court painter during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897). The video presents a vivid rendition of people living in harmony with immutable nature. Meanwhile, another video, titled Royal Processions with the People, immerses the audience in the official uigwe (royal protocols) records of the ceremonies of the Joseon royal court. Based on these royal records and paintings, the showcase invites visitors into a world of majestic royal rites centered on the processions to Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon by King Jeongjo (r. 1776-1880), the 22nd King of the Joseon Dynasty.
Then there’s Pillars of Divinity, Chongseok Rocks, which illustrates the stunning view of Chongseok Rocks in Tongcheon, Gangwondo Province, a renowned scenic attraction in the Geumgangsan Mountain area. This video is based on the painting Scenic View of Chongseok Rocks by the painter and calligrapher Kim Gyujin (1868-1933). Lastly, Peonies in Bloom takes cue from the two-panel painting of peony flowers in the National Museum of Korea collection. Peonies are celebrated for their elegant appearance and have long served as an object of admiration, a symbol of wealth and abundance, and an important motif for royal rites and architecture. The video work transports visitors into a garden of red and white peony blossoms in full bloom.
Aside from expanding and deepening the Filipinos’ appreciation of Korean culture, the exhibition also commemorates the long-standing friendship between the Philippines and Korea. This year marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
“As the first event to celebrate 75 years of friendship between Korea and the Philippines, this exhibition provides a great opportunity for meaningful cultural exchanges between our two countries,” said H.E. Lee Sang-hwa, the ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Philippines. “I hope that it will showcase Korea’s rich tradition and substantiate its position as a digital powerhouse that can further strengthen our bilateral partnership.”
Endless Landscape: Digitally Reimagined Korean Art kicks off a series of events celebrating the milestone year at KCC Philippines. Lined up in the coming months are a Korea Festival and K-drama OST Concert. KCC Philippines will likewise organize monthly house concerts featuring Filipino artists in collaboration with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts of the Philippines.
Meanwhile, the National Museum of Korea will continue to carry out further projects and overseas exhibitions as part of its Overseas Korean Galleries Support Program. The museum remains committed to promoting Korean culture and strengthening “its status through diverse projects that encompass both traditional and contemporary contexts.”