한국국제교류재단

Korea’s leading cultural heritage festival is held every spring and autumn at the five Joseon Dynasty palaces and at Jongmyo, the Confucian shrine where Joseon kings conducted ancestral rites. The festival includes performances, exhibitions, experiences, and ritual reenactments that reflect the history and style of each palace and venue.

DATE : Apr. 27 to May 5, 2024

VENUE : Gyeongbok Palace, Changdeok Palace, Deoksu Palace, Changgyeong Palace, Gyeonghui Palace, and Jongmyo (Royal Ancestral Shrine)

WEBSITE : chf.or.kr

Over the course of nearly five decades, Koo Bohnchang has created an abundance of artworks, blazing a trail for contemporary Korean photography and art. This solo retrospective is unprecedented in size and illustrates his contemplative approach in bridging these genres. Koo Bohnchang’s Voyages takes viewers on a meditative journey, coaxing them to reflect on the meaning of our life and existence.

DATE : Dec. 14, 2023 to Mar. 10, 2024

VENUE : Seosomun Main Branch, Seoul Museum of Art

WEBSITE : sema.seoul.go.kr

The Long-Lasting Objects of Metalsmiths exhibition originated from a question: “How can crafts contribute to a sustainable life?” Presenting works by recipients of the Metalwork & Jewelry Award — sponsored by Korea Zinc, one of the world’s leading refined zinc-producing companies — it illuminates how metalsmiths carefully integrate environmental considerations into their craft, fostering a path toward sustainability.

DATE : Dec. 19, 2023 to Mar. 10, 2024

VENUE : Seoul Museum of Craft Art

WEBSITE : craftmuseum.seoul.go.kr

This special exhibition features photographs by Lim In-sik, a documentary photographer and war correspondent during the Korean War. On display are about 140 photographs selected from 1,003 total images donated in 2013. They represent a visual record of the lives and emotions of people living in Seoul from 1945 to 1965, a period of tumultuous economic and political change.

DATE : Dec. 15, 2023 to Mar. 10, 2024

VENUE : Seoul Museum of History

WEBSITE : museum.seoul.go.kr

Since 1984, each new season of The Complete Performance of Pansori has been highly anticipated. The first half of the 2024 season features Heungbuga in March, Jeokbyeokga in April, Simcheongga in May, and Sugungga in June. These performances of traditional narrative songs, with accompanying commentary, are presented by the National Theater of Korea.

DATE : Mar. 16, Apr. 13, May 11, and June 15, 2024

VENUE : Haneul Round Theater, National Theater of Korea

WEBSITE : ntok.go.kr

In celebration of the Year of the Blue Dragon in 2024, the National Museum of Korea is introducing fifteen dragon-related items from its permanent exhibition halls. Visitors are invited to examine these representations of dragons and learn about their rich history.

DATE : Dec. 20, 2023 to Apr. 7, 2024

VENUE : National Museum of Korea

WEBSITE : www.museum.go.kr

This solo exhibition explores the oeuvre of Jung Youngsun, Korea’s first licensed female landscape architect. Displaying a curated selection of representative works, the exhibition reveals the impact of Jung’s creativity on major public and private sites. Among her notable projects are the Asian Athletes’ and Olympic Athletes’ Apartment Complexes at Seoul’s Olympic Park; the Seoul Olympic Museum of Art and Sculpture Park; the Expo Science Park in Daejeon; and Seonyudo Park, located on an island in the Han River. Besides the exhibition, a specially created park offers visitors an immersive experience in Jung’s approach to landscape architecture.

DATE : Apr. 5 to Sept. 22, 2024

VENUE : MMCA Seoul – National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea

WEBSITE : mmca.go.kr

MMCA Cheongju is the first place in East Asia equipped with designated facilities for specialized conservation of artwork by type. This exhibition, drawn from the museum’s Special Storage, provides the opportunity to explore shifts in the concept of drawing. Works on display include those of renowned modernist painters, such as A Boy (1943–1945) by Lee Jung-seob, Landscape (1956) by Park Soo-keun, and Mountain (mid-1970s) by Yoon Young-kuk.

DATE : Dec. 14, 2023 to Jul. 31, 2024

VENUE : MMCA Cheongju – National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea

WEBSITE : mmca.go.kr

This exhibition traces the evolution of and trends in Korean embroidery, a lesser-explored aspect of modern and contemporary Korean art history. Woven into the intricate embroidery works are questions about a broad range of subjects, including gender, modernization, tradition, fine art and crafts, artisans, labor, and life.

DATE : May 2 to Aug. 4, 2024

VENUE: MMCA Deoksugung – National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea

WEBSITE : mmca.go.kr

The National Changgeuk Company of Korea presents a distinct adaptation of William Shakespeare’s tragedy King Lear, using the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of changgeuk, a genre of traditional Korean opera derived from pansori (traditional narrative songs). The troupe integrates the Korean language with a refined reinterpretation of traditional Korean music, all guided by meticulous direction and choreography. Lear provides a glimpse of the human condition through the struggles of characters driven by their desires.

DATE : Mar. 29 to Apr 7, 2024

VENUE: Daloreum Theater, National Theater of Korea

WEBSITE : ntok.go.kr