since opening its doors in 1969, the nationalmuseum of modern and contemporary art korea... has actually lived through the history ofkorea's modern art. its branch in gwacheon, just south of seoul,is turning 30 this year, and celebrating with a special exhibition. our kim hyesung has the story. the national museum of modern and contemporaryart korea is celebrating its 30th birthday... with moons and more moons. a full moon shining in the dark. two blue moons.
and one made of puffed rice. just as the moon waxes and wanes in a cycleof about 30 days, the museum decided to celebrate its 30th anniversary with a related theme. "a work of art is like a living being witha life cycle. to mark the 30th anniversary, we wanted toexplore the meaning of life and death, the relationship between art and people underthe theme "as the moon waxes and wanes." titled "willing to be vulnerable," this renditionof a passenger airship symbolizes the 1937 hindenburg disaster that killed 36 people. the ten bodies on the vinyl plastic and thered marks on the floor signify death and blood.
and then, the brighter selections:in this work, called "survey of color preference," the playful colors represent the meaning oflife, society, language and culture in the 21st century. there are also works that explore anthropology,supernatural powers, and practices related to healing, immortality and rebirth. and to give visitors a culturally rewardingexperience, the museum's 37 masterpieces are gathered in one setting under the theme "relation." here, you can find iconic works of modernkorean art, see how artists view their utopia and immerse yourself in pieces that trenscendtime and space."
unique works of architecture, media and portraitsare placed in parallel, helping viewers see the similarities and differences between theworks,... and at the same time interact with the works themselves. "i visit the museum several times a year. i can tell the they've put a lot of effortinto this 30th anniversary special exhibition. i love how they juxtaposed masterpieces alltogether in one place." among the highlights of the 560 unique worksof art on display are the sculptures. next to them are early designs and materialsthat were used in their creation... to shed light on the artistic process.
finally, in the archive zone, you can seethe museum's history. established in 1986, the museum now boastsover 7,800 collections, and has contributed to the development of modern art in korea. as it celebrates its 30th anniversary underthe theme of "the waxing and waning of the moon," it is also preparing itself for thenext 30-year cycle. the special exhibition is free to the publicand will run through january 12th. kim hyesung, arirang news.