Exploring the vibrant history of South Korea through the lens of contemporary art, this article delves into the dynamic exhibitions making waves in the UK. 

Art is an essential part of human existence. Whether it’s artists speaking openly about their past, highlighting social injustices, or providing new perspectives to developed situations, art tells beautiful stories. In South Korea, the Hallyu Wave is a prime example of this. Dating back to 1990, Hallyu has become an umbrella term for the flourishing pop culture of the entertainment and technology sectors that have become synonymous with some of the industry’s most popular and well-known brands.  

Beyond Hallyu, South Korea has seen a rapid increase in Korean artists’ digital and fine art exhibitions. Adding to the rich history of art pioneers such as Nam June Paik and Lee Ufan, the country’s younger generation has started to forge their own reputations. Incorporating multifaceted fine and digital art has resonated with audiences in and out of South Korea. The UK has become the latest country to showcase Korean art and some of its brightest artists as they look to leave their impact on South Korea’s art movement.  

Delight: Media Art 

Produced by Korean artist Gyoungtae Hong and director Younsook Im, the Delight Media Art Show is a multifaceted art exhibit incorporating a range of videos, virtual reality, and light shows to explore the long history and complete story of South Korea. Spanning two halls, the exhibit looks to enlighten attendees about daily life in Seoul. Incorporating testimonials and virtual art to give an honest account of life in the country’s busiest and most exciting city.  

The exhibit also does an incredible job of telling Seoul’s advancements in modern technology, with screens showing the bright nightlife, vibrant signs, and a final wall displaying lights, phrases and images that have come to be associated with South Korean popular culture over the past few years. The mobile compatibility shows the beauty of augmented reality and the beauty of Korean food, incorporating the recent modern history of South Korea. 

Ultimately, the Delight Media Exhibition highlights the rich history of Seoul, incorporating the culture and vast developments made throughout the years. Its depiction of South Korean poetry and myths shows the importance of the country’s history in everyday life. The use of lights and digital media provides the perfect contrast and showcases the development of technological creativity by South Korean artists. 

1883 A journey through the archives 

In honour of the 140-year diplomatic relations of the UK and South Korea, the Korean Cultural Centre UK tells the story of the two countries’ beginnings and the start of South Korea’s treaty signings following the Treaty of Chemulpo 1882 with Japan. The exhibit showcases original artefacts from South Korea in 1883, with original 19th-century maps of the then Joseon and the rest of the world. It provides a deeper understanding of what Korea was and how the Western world perceived it in the 19th century. A fascinating insight, to say the least. 

Photos and drawings depict the life and living conditions of those who travelled and lived in South Korea, with some even being architectural drawings of what the houses of British travellers looked like. Others show the landscape of South Korea. The exhibit does an excellent job of accurately depicting British people living in Korea during 1883. Highlighting the incredible changes and advancements that Korea has made during the last 140 years and providing a much-needed historical display of an incredibly under-reported time. It is equal parts enlightening and beautiful. Truly a stunning exhibit. 

Jane Jin Kaisen: Halmang 

Halmang, an exhibition named after Jane Jin Kaisen’s 2023 short film, revolves around the story of eight elderly ladies, formerly divers on Jeju Island, carrying out traditional activities and paying tribute to the wind goddess Yeoldeung. A three-part multifaceted art exhibition, the display first starts with Kaisen’s leading film, as the pulsating sounds of Jeju Island and crashing waves alongside the sound of ancient traditional Jeju music fill the air in an intoxicating mix. 

Halmang captures the peacefulness of Jeju Island with close-ups of the women’s hands and faces alongside tracking shots of the women carefully moving and attaching the Sochang.  

Kaisen does an incredible job at connecting the audience to the characters and showing the bond between the women who have all connected based on their previous occupations, creating a seamless narrative thread. 

Alongside this, the exhibit also showcases Kaisen’s other work, including her published books on the women of Jeju. These books are also accompanied by a variety of different authors who have also famously written about the community. The exhibit does well at displaying women’s impact on life and history in Jeju, with artefacts dating as far back as the Japanese resistance. It shows the power and strength of women on the island and how they still play an essential part in the island’s culture today. 

Halmang showcases the rich history of Jeju women. Kaisen’s connection to the piece is felt in the characters and storytelling across all elements. Representing the deep-rooted sense of spirituality, culture and traditions of Korea’s most remote islands introduces audiences to a new side of Korea away from Seoul’s widely covered pop culture. 

Kim Heecheon: Double Poser  

In his first exhibition outside Korea, filmmaker, artist, and winner of the 2023 Hermes Foundation Missulang Art Prize, Kim Heecheon, has seen newfound success in London through the exhibition of Double Poser at the Hayward Gallery. In a two-part exhibition, the first screen shows the artist reinterpreting his previous work, Cutter III.  

Initially created for the Game Society exhibition at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul, the work has been repurposed to incorporate the Hayward Gallery structure. Taking a third-person perspective using a fisheye lens, the video creates a dystopian reality between real life and the virtual world.  

The second screen exhibition showcases Kim Heecheon’s 2019 work, Deep in the Forking Tank. Forty-three minutes long, the video is an immersive experience focused on how technology can transform bodily senses. Overall, it is easy to agree with the words spoken about the screenings by the Project Director of the Art Sonje Center, Je Yun Moon: “His videos empathise with our feeling of helplessness while offering a playful escape.” The video’s complexity gives visitors a sense of an alternative reality, addressing the power of technology and Artificial Intelligence, forcing those in attendance to question the true meaning of life, human existence and what that means. 

Displayed through a variety of mediums, each exhibition provides a rich aspect of South Korean history, which is told in different ways. These artists have found a way to express themselves and their home country ancestors and are following in the footsteps of other Korean pop culture aspects in the Hallyu Wave.