Exhibitions 19


100 IDEAS OF HAPPINESS Art Treasures from Korea


After the SKD (Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden) held exhibitions in Seoul and Gwangju in South Korea in 2017 and 2018, the National Museum of Korea is making a return visit to Germany. Te setting for this latest exhibition is the baroque Paraderäume (State Apartments) and the Neues Grünes Gewölbe (New Green Vault) of the Residenzschloss (Royal Palace) in Dresden. Te central theme of the exhibition is the question of the different ideas of happiness – be it the desire for eternal life, peace in this world and the hereafter, inner strength, or pure joie de vivre – which are expressed in the works of art in a variety of ways through colours, symbols, and selected subjects. Tere are around 180 objects


on display, including objects relating to funerary practices, jewellery, royal robes, as well as different types of porcelain to explore more than 1,500 years of Korean history. Numerous loans are on show for the first time in Europe. Te exhibition aims to convey a multifaceted impression of Korea’s artistic traditions from the time of the Tree Kingdoms (57 BC-AD 668) through to the Joseon dynasty (1392-1897). Among the loans are


important national treasures, such as early gold jewellery from the Silla kingdom, including earrings, rings, belts, and one of the famous Silla gold crowns from the royal tumulus of Geumgwanchong in modern-day Gyeongju. Te tomb was discovered by chance in 1921 during construction work on a housing site in Noseo-ri in the modern city. Silla rose from a small polity to a powerful and cosmopolitan kingdom both on the peninsula and within the broader framework of Eurasia, to which Silla was connected via trade, and at times political and diplomatic exchanges. Te kingdom rose to prominence in the early 5th century under the rule of a hereditary monarchy known today largely through material preserved in elaborate burial sites in the then capital, which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000. Te exhibition includes a


Korean roof tile from the Unified Silla period (668-935).


Olivia Sand


CONTEMPORARY VOICES


From the Asian and Islamic Art Worlds


Gold crown from the


Geumgwanchong burial mound, Noseo-dong,


Gyeongju, Silla Kingdom, 5th century


© National Museum of Korea


The first comprehensive book to cover the Asian and Islamic contemporary art scenes featuring more than 80 interviews and 250 color illustrations


Available for purchase at bookstores and on skira.net WATCH Journey to Korea’s Ancient Silla Kingdom


Roof tiles made of fired clay are key elements of traditional Korean architecture. Tey not only protected wooden structures from the weather while bringing aesthetic value and symbolic meaning. Roof tiles would crown both ends of the main roof ridge of prominent buildings. Te symbol of the mythical beast represents both a king and valour and is also considered a guardian of Buddhist law. In addition to protecting and embellishing building peaks, they were believed to ward off evil. While the ancient wood frame buildings they adorned are long gone, clay roof tiles, including chimi (owls’ tail) tiles that adorn both ends of a main roof ridge, have survived more than one thousand years. Tis exhibition features three chimi unearthed from the sites of two Buddhist temples and one palace complex dating to the Tree


Seated Amitabha Buddha, Goryeo dynasty, 14th century © National Museum of Korea


Kingdoms (Baekje) and Unified Silla periods. Also included are round roof tile ends excavated at the same sites. Together, these artefacts reveal hidden stories of the ancient architecture of Korea. To complement the


historical display, a selection of modern garments inspired by traditional models are exhibited alongside the museum objects to show modern-day Korea. Many of the objects are being shown outside of Korea for the first time. It is the most comprehensive exhibition of Korean art in Germany for over 25 years. Te show will be accompanied by a varied programme, including a Korean Week running from 26 May to 1 June 2025.


• Until 10 August 2025, SKD, Dresden


Roof-end tile with mythical beast decoration, Unified Silla period, 8th/9th century © National Museum of Korea


• 100 Ideas of Happiness catalogue is published by Sandstein Verlag


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Learn how coins create, and mobilise, an aura of the sacred and the precious. Grab your copy today!


To order email: foundation@marg-art.org www.marg-art.org


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