Hallyu-Korean Wave exhibit at National Art Gallery
If it isn’t Korean dramas we’re obsessing over, it’s good food and music from South Korea that has our attention. To celebrate the wave of K-culture that first hit Malaysia’s shores two decades ago, National Art Gallery (Balai Seni Negara) has a new free-entry exhibit called Hallyu Wave with Korean pop culture installations, which opens from now till 16th September 2023.
Here’s what you can expect from the exhibit:
Paintings, neon-lit displays, and sculptures
There have been plenty of new exhibits at the National Art Gallery, but Hallyu-Korean Wave is the first one that brings together local and Korean artists.
There are over 10 installations for visitors to marvel at, which range from paintings to a whole neon-lit convenience store display fridge with instant noodle packets and drinks popular in Malaysia and Korea on view.
One of the first installations you’ll see is called the Mastermind: Flipped The Mind, which looks like several ddakji (folded paper tiles) hovering in mid-air.
This installation lights up in various colours, including neon pinks and blues, so you’ll want to stick around to see the mesmerising change of hues.
Another art piece you’ll see to the left of the exhibit’s entrance is called Sandiwara Anak Korea, which blends together popular films and dramas from Malaysia and South Korea.
Step a little closer to these larger-than-life paintings, and spot zombies from Train To Busan infiltrating a kampung, and characters from Ejen Ali and Squid Game hiding within the latter’s iconic labyrinth staircase.
There’s also a caged sculpture called Lock On Lock featuring padlocks that have been attached by visitors. The museum welcomes visitors to bring their own padlocks with scribbled messages to lock onto the sculpture – not unlike what tourists popularly do when visiting N Seoul Tower in South Korea.
K-pop installations and interactive zones
For those who can’t get enough of K-pop, there are several installations here that pay homage to Korean popular music. The star of the show is Into My Universe, which comprises a wall display filled with posters of K-pop groups from various generations, and a “bedroom” decorated with albums and merch from groups such as New Jeans, TXT, NCT, and ATEEZ.
This installation was created by Batu Belah Art Community, a Malaysian art collective.
Image adapted from: @mtun97 via Twitter, @icesapphire__ via Twitter
K-pop fans can seek out their biases on the wall of posters at this installation, and snap mirror selfies for keepsakes.
“Voice On Time” (left) is based on soundwaves from BTS’s tracks, such as Spring Day and Dynamite, and “Times Reimagined_Dionysus” (right) is a fresco painting inspired by their dance performance.
Another portion of the exhibit features paintings from local and Korean artists. Fans of the group BTS can admire several art pieces created by notable Korean artists, Jin Youngsun and DaViz, that draw inspiration from the band’s performances.
An interactive space for visitors is Beauty Perception, where visitors can view themselves on a huge projection and take photos of their blown-up image.
Soak up Korean culture at Hallyu-Korean Wave
Whether you’re a fan of films or music from Korea, there’s something to enjoy and experience at the Hallyu-Korean Wave exhibit at the National Art Gallery.
The gallery is conveniently located a 7-minute walk from Hospital Kuala Lumpur (Pintu B), and its exhibits are all free-entry, so drop by on a day-off to soak up artworks and installations from local and Korean artists.
Address: Lembaga Pembangunan Seni Visual Negara, 2, Jalan Temerloh, Off Jalan Tun Razak, 53200 Kuala Lumpur, WPKL
Opening hours: 9am-5pm, Daily
Contact: 03-4026 7000
Photography by Janet Cho.
Cover image adapted from: @mtun97 via Twitter, TheSmartLocal Malaysia