Foreigners Visiting Korea Welcomed Through Traditional Culture Media

National Palace Museum installs traditional culture media art at Incheon Airport arrival hall
Introducing Joseon royal bojagi, Najeonchilgi, traditional dance, Hangul, Gayageum, and more

The National Palace Museum of Korea announced that it will install media art themed on traditional culture at the east side of the arrival hall in Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport, opening it to the public from the 29th. The traditional culture media consists of three LED media walls, four kinetic art pieces, and one transparent LED. Focusing on the fact that this is the first space where arrivals encounter Korea, various artworks combining our cultural heritage and information and communication (IT) technology are showcased.

The LED media walls introduce Joseon royal bojagi (wrapping cloth), Najeonchilgi (mother-of-pearl lacquerware), traditional dances, Hangul, and AI tourist maps. The beauty of royal bojagi and Najeonchilgi is displayed through the museum’s collection and works by holders of national intangible cultural heritage. Traditional dances highlighted include Seungmu, Taepyeongmu, and Ganggangsullae. The video also shows the creation of Hangul, unfolding over about four minutes. An official explained, "The LED media walls are ultra-high density products with a 1.5mm dot pitch (distance between pixels)," adding, "They are optimized for viewing high-resolution videos."

The themes of the kinetic art, which are moving sculptures, include Gayageum melodies, traditional patchwork (jogakbo), Hanok door lattice patterns, and Chaekgado (paintings of bookshelves). The Gayageum melody sculpture expresses the movement of Gayageum strings in harmony with the gentle Gayageum tunes. The jogakbo and Hanok door lattice, implemented as sunshades and traditional Korean paper (jangji) doors, are located by the windows. An official said, "They preserve the aesthetic of traditional architecture while blocking strong sunlight, providing visual comfort."

Among the kinetic art pieces is a modern reinterpretation of Chaekgado, an 18th-century painting depicting bookshelves, books, stationery, and utensils. In the kinetic art, 324 mobile devices move vertically to create the artwork. An official said, "A cat chasing butterflies tumbles and rolls, bringing cheerful laughter."

The transparent LED, which retains the window’s original function, provides weather and travel information through LED elements emitting light at approximately 4cm intervals. The museum stated, "We will develop and provide content combining traditional culture and advanced technology in the other arrival halls as well."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.