National Intangible Heritage Center, Permanent Exhibition Hall 1 Reopens... 'The Joy and Elegance of Everyday Life'

[Asia Economy Reporter Seomideum] The Cultural Heritage Administration’s National Intangible Heritage Center will reopen Permanent Exhibition Hall 1, newly renovated by combining intangible heritage with immersive content, on the 15th. Permanent Exhibition Hall 1 has been newly organized around traditional performances and arts, rituals and ceremonies, traditional games and martial arts, and traditional knowledge.

The exhibition theme, “The Joy and Elegance of Everyday Life,” shows the Korean people’s spirit of overcoming hardships and ever-changing natural environments without losing leisure in life, sublimating it into forms of art. The exhibition is broadly divided into ▲ Music and Dance, Leisure in Life and Elegance ▲ Work and Play, Strengthening Community Power ▲ Prayers and Festivals, Well-being for Tomorrow.

Permanent Exhibition Hall 1 Introduction

At the introduction, visitors are guided into the daily lives of ancestors through natural images produced by three-dimensional (3D) projection mapping. Projection mapping is a media art technique that projects images made of light onto the surface of objects. Next, in “Music and Dance, Leisure in Life and Elegance,” visitors can explore intangible heritage in traditional performance and arts that enjoyed and comforted the joys and sorrows of life. In the hanok pavilion space, visitors can enjoy Hyangje Julpungnyu, a type of traditional instrumental music enjoyed in nature, on a large screen along with instruments and sheet music. The five madangs (acts) of Pansori can be heard through interactive sensors and multi-DID (digital signage) mapping, featuring the voices of the holders of each madang. Additionally, visitors can watch the past and present of Cheoyongmu through a large screen.

Work and Play, the Strength of a Strengthened Community

In “Work and Play, Strengthening Community Power,” tug-of-war and Nongak (traditional farmers’ music) performed in the yard space are introduced through various exhibits. In traditional society, people enjoyed games during special occasions such as holidays and Jeongwol Daeboreum (the first full moon of the lunar year) to promote community harmony. Nongak, in particular, is a community culture that prays for a good harvest and shares the joy of harvest. Costumes and props from regional Nongak styles such as Pyeongtaek Nongak, Gurye Jansu Nongak, Iri Nongak, and Imsil Pilbong Nongak are gathered in one place. Also, Talnori (mask play), a culture of satire and humor, can be explored through various mask exhibits and a multi-touch table featuring different Talnori performances.

Origin and Festival, Tomorrow's Well-being

Finally, in “Prayers and Festivals, Well-being for Tomorrow,” intangible cultural heritage embodying wishes for the safe continuation of daily life is introduced. People hoped for abundant results from their labor and prayed for the safety of their villages in the face of natural disasters and epidemics. These earnest rituals and ceremonies gradually grew in scale and became festivals. Visitors can experience the site of the Gangneung Danoje shamanistic ritual and the performance process of Wido Ddibae Nori, a boat play held at sea, through interactive sensors and projection mapping.

In addition, the “Intangible Cultural Heritage Memorial Hall,” which was a space highlighting the lives and achievements of deceased holders of national intangible cultural heritage who preserved and passed down traditional culture, has been relocated to Permanent Exhibition Hall 1 to honor their spirit as the “Undying Light” space. A “Intangible Heritage Media Wall” has also been created where visitors can explore intangible heritage archives in various ways, allowing a broader encounter with intangible heritage not fully covered in the exhibition.

Admission to the exhibition is free, and it is closed every Monday. For more details, inquiries can be made through the National Intangible Heritage Center website or by phone.

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