'Romantic Days' takes visitors on a rollercoaster of emotions

Arts & Design

Published: 21 Mar. 2022, 15:35 Updated: 21 Mar. 2022, 17:38

'Romantic Days' takes visitors on a rollercoaster of emotions

"Neon nights" (2019) by Henry O. Head [D MUSEUM]

Love is a complex feeling that has always been difficult to define.

D Museum’s large-scale “Romantic Days” exhibition however, has compressed love into seven different themes to celebrate the multiple facets of the complex emotion.

Over 300 pieces attempt to tell the personal stories of 23 artists from all over the globe through photographs, illustrations, installations and even comics.

“Romantic Days” is heavily centered on the scenarios frequently seen in romance stories, from the flirty beginnings of a fresh relationship to the painful breakups. Seven popular local cartoonists have showcased their famous works on large digital screens, representing each of the themes.

The first section of ″Romantic Days″ shows ″Unplugged Boy″ (1997) by Chon Kye-young [D MUSEUM]

The first theme centers around the “heart-fluttering moments of first love.” The characters from 51-year-old cartoonist Chon Kye-young’s comic book series “Unplugged Boy” (1997) begin the exhibition. It is about a teenage romance between a boy who has passion for hip-hop and his childhood friend-turned-girlfriend.

Chon is best known for “Love Alarm” (2014-), a webtoon series available on Kakao Webtoon, which was also made into a Netflix series of the same name (2019-21) starring actors Kim So-hyun and Song Kang.

The works of other comic artists Lee Eun-hye, Lee Mi-ra, Lee Vin, Park Eun-ah, Won Soo-yeon and Shin Il-sook are exhibited as well for other themes in the exhibition, like lovesickness, unrequited love and heartbreak.

The blue and gloomy photograph “Alea dream” (2019) by 37-year-old American photographer Tristan Hollingsworth shows mesmerizing dreamlike imagery of flowers captured on a film camera — which makes one recall the depressing moments of a one-sided love.

"Sarah and Melissa (Kiss)" (2016) by Chad Moore [D MUSEUM]

“Sasha and Melissa (Kiss)” (2016) by 35-year-old American photographer Chad Moore is filled with the free-spirited passion of a teen romance film.

Exiting “Romantic Days” leaves visitors feeling like they just got out of a tumultuous romantic relationship, as it is filled with ups and downs.

The entirety of the exhibition is extremely Instagrammable, with its aesthetics including pink, moody lighting and sentimental captions written on the walls suggesting complicated emotions about love. It’s a surefire way to explore the various moments of both physical and spiritual intimacy in a single setting.

“Romantic Days” runs until Oct. 30. D Museum is open Tuesdays to Sundays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. On Saturdays it closes at 9 p.m. Tickets are 18,000 won ($14.80) for adults.

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]