Hanbok-inspired exhibit adorns museum in Kazakhstan

View of the exhibition “Hanbok, Reborn as Art” at the Museum of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Astana / Courtesy of the Savina Museum of Contemporary Art

By Park Han-sol

Elements of beauty from the traditional Korean outfit “hanbok” light up the capital of Kazakhstan.

The exhibition “Hanbok, Reborn as Art,” at the Museum of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Astana, brings together the works of 12 Korean creators who have reinvented the classic aesthetic of hanbok through the prism of contemporary art.

The exhibition, which opened on May 17, was organized by the Seoul-based Savina Museum of Contemporary Art. This is the first time that a Korean institution has organized an exhibition at the Central Asian Museum.

The 35 pieces on display offer a creative twist on the patterns, colors, shapes, designs and materials of centuries-old clothing.

In his “Miindo, Velazquez and some Ants”, the famous media artist Lee Lee-nam juxtaposes the two iconic paintings of East and West: “Portrait of a Beauty” by the Joseon era artist Shin Yun-bok and “Infanta Margarita” by Diego Velázquez. Teresa in a blue dress.” The scanned images undergo a transformation when an on-screen colony of ants begins walking back and forth to change the two characters’ dresses.

Lee Joon-keun converts traditional dance costumes and mask dance choreography into kaleidoscopic geometric patterns using computer graphics and artificial intelligence.

Installation view “Hanbok, Reborn as Art” at the Museum of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan / Courtesy of Savina Museum of Contemporary Art

Some designers have chosen to reinterpret classic accessories using modern materials, such as Lee Soo-in’s version of the “jokduri”, a type of crown worn by women wearing formal wear, and the “norigae” shaped like a butterfly by Lee Hoo-chang, which has been reinvented with glass and neon.

Artisan Lee Bong-yi’s meticulously reproduced version of the early 19th century “hwarot,” a traditional Korean bridal costume with embroidered silk, is another visual delight.

“Hanbok, Reborn as Art” runs through June 23.