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Autumn has arrived. It is the season when Jeongdong-gil turns yellow with autumn leaves and people wait for Namsan Mountain to turn red fall foliage. Maybe it is the breeze blowing gently that makes my heart feel soft and content. At around this time of year, I feel like I want to go and enjoy my favorite artwork or take off to discover exciting new stories. Fortunately, there are wonderful spaces of culture and arts waiting for you all over Seoul. Art galleries that match the autumn season and spaces that are decorated uniquely welcome worldly visitors with wide open doors. There is also an exhibition hall that will remind us of things long past. October, is the perfect time to feel the soul of Seoul.
Beside Changdeokgung Palace, there stands a building its black walls all covered in ivy. The word “space” in Chinese characters and the English word SPACE are painted in white at the top to boast its dominating presence. It is an old “space” office building, which the exemplary Korean architect, Kim Swoo-geun, used as his office and home.
The old space office building, which was once nearly abandoned, was recently renovated into an art museum. The founder and art collector, Mr. President Kim Chang-il, purchased the building, searched for its new master, and refurnished it as an art museum.
This building is itself a piece of art. It was not only designed by Kim Swoo-geun himself, but also it was designated as Registered Cultural Property No. 586. Let's take a closer look at the exterior made of black bricks. In order to achieve harmony with Changdeokgung Palace and other nearby Hanok buildings, he selected traditional bricks as the main building material, which looks similar to Korean traditional tiles. The ivy, which was planted in consideration to co-existence with nature, now covers the entire outer wall, establishing itself as one of the iconic properties of the building.
The interior space that uses elements of Hanok is also unique. Not only are all the spaces connected, but one can also feel that the space is constructed to be open, so that every area is well-lit. In other words, the building fully encompasses the philosophy of coexistence pursued by Kim Swoo-geun. You can't actually tell how attractive this space is without looking around for yourself. I highly recommend you take a close look at every corner of this building.
Arario Museum in Space presents the Arario collections as well as the artwork of President Kim. This exhibit is well regarded for housing the artwork of many renowned artists and emerging artists across both the East and the West, including The "Self“ of Marc Quinn who drew with his own blood and sublimated it into his work, the pioneer of video art Paik Nam-jun's TV Cello, Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin, and Subodh Gupta. The experimental special exhibition will evoke audiences’ emotions.
This art museum was born as the “Hallym Gallery,” and the nation’s first exhibition hall opened in Daejeon, which exclusively displayed photography. The museum introduces works that can be conveniently enjoyed as the museum pursues a philosophy of art in everyday life. The most notable characteristic of this museum is that it plans and produces its exhibition contents by shedding new light on the value of objects that can be easily found in our daily lives. Here, exhibitions are held that keep up with modern trends rather than displaying just fine arts.
This museum is particularly interesting because it was just an ordinary house in Tongui-dong but was transformed into an art museum through renovations. The architect, Vincen Cornu, who worked on a variety of architectural projects such as the establishment of the Picasso Museum in France, refined this space. You can see the effort put in to maintain the comfort the house possessed and at the same time, to serve its purpose as a museum.
There is a cafe open right next to the museum. The charm of this cafe is that it represents the binary of old and modern by holding onto the facade of an ordinary house built in the 1970s. The trees creating a harmony with small gardens everywhere create a cozy atmosphere. It is also a good idea to enjoy afterglow of imagery of the exhibition in the cafe.
Even after many decades, Dooly, the Little Dinosaur, still regarded as one of the best cartoons many people, returns to loving readers through the exhibition hall in Ssangmun-dong, Dobong-gu where was a background of the cartoon. Perhaps you may be able to immerse yourself into the cartoon once again.
The Dooly Museum operates various spaces with the theme of Dooly, the Little Dinosaur. It showcases spaces in a row, ranging from a themed space that embodies the first form in which Dooly appeared on Earth in a glacier, to the spaces that reproduce various stories of the cartoon. Michael Music Station, where you can sing the theme song of Dooly, the Little Dinosaur is a space that is well-loved by everyone. The studio of Kim Soo-jung, the cartoonist and father of Dooly, offers a glimpse into the production process of Dooly, the Little Dinosaur.
There are also hands-on experience programs for children which are popular, like an experience program where you can paint Dooly's character to amusement facilities and various other programs that are held both regularly and irregularly. The 3-D version of Dooly, the Little Dinosaur is also screened six times a day.
Situated on near the bank of the Hangang River, the V Center is an experience museum themed after the Korean robot animation, Robot Taekwon V. It is very unique in the way it guides visitors movements in line with story development, from the birth to the dispatch of Taekwon V. For people who spent their youth in the 70s and 80s, this is a space where they can recall old memories and feel nostalgic. For children, it is a space where they can develop their imagination in the fields of robotics and science.
There are many hands-on experience programs for children. It starts with the mirror tower, where the figure of Taekwon V is reflected over a mirror. The center guides visitor’s movements from the V Kids Zone, where a variety of toys are available, to the V Game Zone, which has not just games that feature robots but is filled with other classic games. In the World Figurine Zone, there are many famous characters around the world, including Iron Man, from the movie Avengers and main characters from the transforming robot animation, Cabot, which recently gained popularity, as well as Taekwon V, the main character of this museum.
There is also a place where visitors can explore the history of Robot Taekwon V. The 20 minute long film shown at the 4D theater offers moments so realistic that it you will feel as though you are actually there with Taekwon V. The highlight of the V Center is the hangar where you can observe the real Master Taekwon V. There, you can see the scene of master Taekwon V, which is 13 meters tall, about to be dispatched.
The Seoul Arts Center is a must visit hot spot for those who love culture and arts. As the most representative center for Korean arts, the museum welcomes visitors as it is equipped with the largest scale comprehensive arts facilities in Korea. It operates six exhibition rooms in the Hangaram Art Museum and three exhibition rooms at the Hangaram Design Museum. The chance to enjoy the world of art, as presented by renowned artists from home and abroad, is always and continuously available.
Hangaram Art Museum mainly displays contemporary art work. It frequently hosts high quality displays that are not easily found elsewhere. It boasts a wide variety of art ranging from the most famous contemporary artists to emerging talents. Recently, it has expanded the scope of its exhibitions to include those from the field of photography, by showcasing National Geographic, which is mainly focused on pictures of natural landscapes, Magnum, which is famous for press photographs, and even Erik Johansson who is widely known as a surrealist photographer.
There are many places to rest inside the Seoul Arts Center like an plaza, restaurants and cafes. This means that it is a good place to go for a walk or to enjoy a date. If you want relax and enjoy art and culture to the max, Seoul Arts Center is the place for you.