National Museum lends objects to Art Institute of Chicago's exhibit on Korean art

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National Museum lends objects to Art Institute of Chicago's exhibit on Korean art

Published: 08 Nov. 2024, 14:25

SHIN MIN-HEE
shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr

Installation view for the Art Institute of Chicago's newly unveiled gallery on Korean art, including a gold belt from Seobongchong Tomb from the Silla Kingdom (57 B.C.-A.D. 935). [NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA]

An exhibition on the arts of Korea featuring objects lent by the National Museum of Korea is now on view at the Art Institute of Chicago until September 2026.

The Art Institute recently unveiled a new gallery dedicated to Korean art, which is about three times larger than its previous space.

The 61 objects currently on view span from the Three Kingdoms period 2,000 years ago to the 20th century. They are a mix of the National Museum of Korea’s and the Art Institute’s collections and include items like folding screens, ceramics and an 18th-century Buddhist statue that is being revealed to the public for the first time in a century.

Some objects like a gold crown, pendant and belt from Seobongchong Tomb from the Silla Kingdom (57 B.C.-A.D. 935), which were designated as national treasures, will only be available to view until February next year as they will return to the National Museum of Korea.

The Art Institute began collecting Korean art in the 1920s. It now owns some 300 ceramics, paintings and contemporary artworks.

The cultural relationship between Chicago and Korea can be traced back to 1893, when the U.S. city hosted the World’s Columbian Exposition, or the Chicago World’s Fair. At the time, the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) participated as a pavilion, which was considered a major feat at the time after the two nations established diplomatic ties in 1882.

With the new Korean gallery space at the Art Institute, the National Museum of Korea said in a press release that it hopes to continue to work together to promote cultural exchanges in the future.

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