Hallyu! The Korean Wave

24 September 2022 – 25 June 2023 

Victoria and Albert Museum, London 

Victoria and Albert Museum, London 

세계 최대의 응용장식디자인 미술관인 런던의 빅토리아 & 알버트 뮤지엄(V&A, Victoria & Albert Museum)이 내년 9월 24일부터 2023년 6월 25일까지 한류 특별전 'Hallyu! The Korean Wave'를 연다. 

이번 전시는 1990년대 후반부터 영화, 드라마, 음악, 미용, 패션 등 창작 산업에서 세계적인 센세이션을 일으켜온 한국의 대중문화, 한류(Korean Wave, Hallyu)'를 탐구할 예정이다. 

한국의 문화체육관광부는 지난해 6월 빅토리아 & 알버트 뮤지엄과 5년간 165만 달러(20억원)을 지원해 한국 주제 전시 강화, 한국실 개선, 관련 연구 및 조사 등에 사용하는 협약을 체결한 바 있다. 

Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 2006.  Photo: NYCultureBeat

1852년 빅토리아 여왕과 그의 남편 알버트 공의 이름을 따서 설립된 빅토리아 & 알버트 뮤지엄은 보티첼리, 티에폴로,부셰, 존 콘스타블, J.M.W. 터너 등의 회화를 비롯 약 227만점을 소장하고 있다. 미술관은 12.5에이커 규모에 고대부터 현재까지, 유럽/북미/아시아/북아프리카 등 주제별로 145개 갤러리가 운영된다.  

한국 유물은 1888년 처음 뮤지엄에 들어간 이후 청화백자 용문 항아리 등 도자기를 비롯, 나전칠기, 병풍, 한복, 보자기, 서울 올림픽 포스터 등 600여점을 소장하고 있다. 한국 갤러리는 1992년 설치됐다. 

2018년엔 런던 지부 V&A Dundee를 오픈했다. 2019년 관람객수는 399만명으로 영국 내 6위를 기록했다. 지난해 코로나 팬데믹으로 인한 재정난으로 직원의 10%인 103명을 해고한다고 밝혔다. https://www.vam.ac.uk 

Korea Gallery at Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 2006.  Photo: NYCultureBeat

V&A to stage first major exhibition on Korean culture, Hallyu! 

The Korean Wave Hallyu! 

24 September 2022 – 25 June 2023

Gallery 39 and North Court

Supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism - Republic of Korea and Genesis

vam.ac.uk/kwave | #KWaveLondon

Opening in September 2022, the V&A’s landmark exhibition Hallyu! The Korean Wave will be the first exhibition of its kind to celebrate the colourful and dynamic popular culture of South Korea, following its early origins to its place on the global stage today.

From K-Pop costumes to K-drama props and posters, alongside photography, sculpture, fashion, video and pop culture ephemera, the exhibition will invite visitors to delve into the phenomenon known as ‘hallyu’ – meaning ‘Korean Wave’. Hallyu rose to prominence in the late 1990s, rippling across Asia before reaching all corners of the world and challenging the currents of global pop culture today.

Hallyu! The Korean Wave will explore the makings of the Korean Wave through cinema, drama, music and fandoms, and underline its cultural impact on the beauty and fashion industries. The exhibition will feature around 200 objects across four thematic sections – including some loans never seen in the UK before – alongside pop culture ephemera and digital displays. Highlights will include an immersive re-creation of Parasite’s bathroom set, and an array of iconic costumes and props seen in K-drama, film and music – including from hit Netflix series Squid Game, and outfits worn by different generations of K-pop idols, from PSY, to aespa and ATEEZ. It will also present monumental artworks, including by Nam June Paik, Ham Kyungah and Gwon Osang; around 20 high fashion looks by Tcha Kim, Miss Sohee and Minju Kim among others; as well as early examples of advertising and branding, including an original poster from the Seoul Olympics, and the first Korean branded cosmetic from the 1910s. In the exhibition, hallyu will also be used as a gateway to explore traditional and contemporary Korean culture by connecting historic objects with popular culture and socio-political events.

Rosalie Kim, curator of Hallyu! The Korean Wave, said: “South Korea has captivated the world over with hallyu, its vibrant and creative popular culture, which has transformed the country’s image from one devastated by the Korean War to that of a leading cultural powerhouse in the era of social media and digital culture today. This phenomenon has been amplified by tech-savvy and socially conscious global fanbases, further raising the profile and relevance of hallyu around the world, and we’re delighted to be bringing its energy and dynamism to the V&A this autumn in the first exhibition of its kind.”

About the Exhibition:

The exhibition will open with a familiar example of hallyu: PSY’s viral 2012 hit single ‘Gangnam Style’, with his iconic pink suit jacket on display. The song and its quirky dance moves were an overnight sensation, and it became the first music video to reach 1 billion views on YouTube. The hugely successful video was an early reflection of hallyu’s international appeal that went on to launch a global phenomenon, inspiring parodies and cover versions across the world, several examples of which, filmed across multiple continents, will also feature in this introduction.

Section one, ‘From Rubble to Smartphones’, will provide historical context to the meteoric rise of hallyu, highlighting how – within living memory – South Korea rapidly evolved from a country ravaged by war in the late 1950s to a leading cultural powerhouse by the early 2000s. Korea’s 20th -century history is marked by the Japanese colonial occupation, the territorial division that led to the Korean War, and the subsequent 27 years of military rule. In the 1960s and 70s South Korea experienced rapid industrialisation and economic growth, and the country was propelled onto the international stage in 1988 with the Seoul Summer Olympics, changing Korea’s image overseas for the first time. Despite the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, bold strategies and IT innovations turned South Korea into one of the most digitally connected countries in the world by the late 90s. Korea’s modern history will be represented and explored in the exhibition through photography, posters and archive materials, alongside objects ranging from Olympics posters to early examples of electronics – including the world’s first commercial MP3 player – and a monumental 1986 video sculpture by artist Nam June Paik, featuring 33 TV monitors.

Section two – ‘Spotlighting K-drama and Cinema’ – will focus on the remarkable success of K-drama and film, charting in turn their rise in popularity from the late 1990s to the present day, through multimedia, installations, posters, storyboards, props and costumes. Highlights in this section will include the iconic pink guard costumes and green tracksuit from hit Netflix series Squid Game, and a recreation of the bathroom set from Bong JoonHo's Oscar-winning film Parasite. This will be the first time the bathroom in the Kim family’s banjiha – or semi-basement apartment – will be re-created, under the guidance of its acclaimed Production Designer Lee Ha Jun. Traditional Korean costumes and props will also be on display, including hats seen in Joseon era zombie series Kingdom, and the grooming kit from The Handmaiden. Finally, this section will showcase webtoons, a Korean innovation of digital cartoons designed for mobile devices, as a source of inspiration for many K-dramas. It will explore recurring themes in TV series, mixing genres and local narratives, such as the country’s relationship with North Korea as depicted on screen.

‘Sounding K-pop and Fandoms’, the third section, will delve into the explosion of K-Pop music around the world, as well as underlining the crucial roles social media and fandoms play in increasing their reach. Visitors will enter the gallery through a corridor lined by fan lightsticks, then will be greeted by posters, ephemera and album covers from early K-Pop bands like Seo Taiji and Boys and BoA, before progressing through to explore the concept of ‘Idols’ in K-pop. Highlights will include a monumental three-metre-high sculpture of GDragon by Gwon Osang, whilst costumes on display will include aespa’s original iridescent outfits from the music video ‘Next Level’, and British punk fashion-inspired ensembles worn by four members of ATEEZ in the music video ‘Fireworks’. For this section the V&A has also worked with celebrated K-pop Style and Visual Director Gee Eun, who has styled idols like BLACKPINK and BIGBANG, and Style Director Balko, who has worked with BTS and NCT, to display two ‘Idol’ looks each. The section will also explore the hugely important role that K-Pop fandoms play in popularising and spreading K-Pop around the world, and suspended from the ceiling will be a selection of K-Pop banners acquired for the museum as part of a public call-out for submissions.

The final section in Hallyu!, titled ‘Making K-beauty and Fashion’, will present K-beauty and fashion, underlining their origin whilst showcasing their innovative and experimental approach that led to new aesthetic standards both inside and outside of Korea. It will also highlight how product placement in K-dramas and endorsements from K-Pop idols have amplified the international profile of K-beauty and fashion. Featuring cosmetics packaging from the 13th century to the present day, the exhibition will trace packaging’s design evolution, from ornate porcelain pots to items including face mask wrappings boasting idols as superheroes. Hallyu! will conclude with K-fashion, showcasing over 20 looks by contemporary hanbok and fashion designers from Korea and the Korean diaspora. Whilst K-fashion is often characterised by its fun, fast-moving streetstyle and gender fluid outfits as illustrated by Kye, D-Antidote and Blindness, other designers are reimagining the silhouette of hanbok, the national costume of Korea. On display will be a look specially created for the V&A by acclaimed stylist Suh Younghee, alongside a K-pop hanbok by CZANN E, a pink jacket by Danha, and a purple cheollik dress by Tchai Kim, drawing their inspiration from traditional garments and patterns. The section will also feature hanbokinspired daily wear designed for and by a younger generation, including looks by Ji Won Choi, Darcycom, and a contemporary hanbok overcoat by Baek Oak Soo, worn by RM from BTS in 2018. The final display of the exhibition will be dedicated to contemporary Korean fashion designers creating colourful, showstopping garments, including looks by Minju Kim, Münn, and Miss Sohee.

*한류를 이해하는 33가지 코드

http://www.nyculturebeat.com/?mid=NYStory2&category=3963998