'Malmoi' and 'Dongnip Sinmun'... Appreciating Artistic Value in Modern Hangul Materials

National Hangeul Museum, Hangeul Experiment Project 'Geundae Hangeul Research Institute'

A special exhibition expanding the value of Hangul into artistic and industrial content has been prepared. The National Hangeul Museum held the Hangul experimental project "Modern Hangul Research Institute" in the planning exhibition hall on the 7th. It opens a creative space for Hangul design and reinterprets modern Hangul materials from an artistic perspective. The museum explained, "The modern era was a period when significant changes occurred in the ways Hangul was used and in the forms of Hangul documents," adding, "The foundation for the current language regulations we use was laid during this time."

Hangul was officially recognized as a script about 450 years after its creation through King Gojong's "National Language Proclamation" in 1894. This institutional organization and social demand for education led to various studies. Diverse opinions were presented, such as horizontal writing, spacing, and exclusive use of Hangul, and Hangul movable type was actively produced. Distinctive Hangul designs were also applied to various books.

The exhibition focuses on five major traces from that time. These include the first Korean language dictionary manuscript "Malmoi" left by Ju Si-gyeong, the Korean grammar book "Mal-ui Sori," the foreign language textbook "Ahakpyeon" compiled by Ji Seok-yeong, the Korean grammar book "Haneomunjeon" compiled by a French missionary, and the "Dongnip Sinmun" which pioneered Hangul spacing. These are applied to 35 works and over 1,500 pieces, radiating new value.

The exhibition is held in four spaces. In the "East-West Language Research Room," works such as Lee Hwayoung's "HanHANgeulMun," Yoo Jeongmin's "Five Giyeok/Ayaeoyeoeo," and Lee Seulgi's "Dyochansyo" are displayed. All of them reexamine "Haneomunjeon" in terms of communication between modern Hangul and Western languages.

In the "Hangul Style Research Room," there are works like Cement's "Layers of Writing," Park Chun-moo's "Untitled," and Kim Mu-yeol's "Gwonjeom: Spacing." Changes in the methods of using modern Hangul, such as horizontal writing and spacing, are newly expressed in various ways.

The "Our Sound Laboratory" is filled with works inspired by pansori-based movable type novels that were popular with the public. These include Kim Hyerim's "Hyo," Kim Hyunjin's "Hangul Gwangsang," and the Korean traditional music a cappella group Toris's "Jebinojeonggi."

In the "Hangul Publishing Research Room," works such as Lee Seongdong's "Yalkin," SAA's "MalMAL," Yoo Namgwon's "Jitaechilgi," and Studio Peshi's "Jamo Tile" are exhibited. These works utilize modern Hangul publications as sources of creativity.

The exhibition will continue until January 29 of next year. The works are also scheduled to be introduced in Beijing, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and other locations.

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