Korean celadon, Vienna paintings headline in-depth tour program
Curator-led tours of exhibitions at the National Museum of Korea began Wednesday, offering visitors a 12-week program designed to provide a deeper understanding of the collections on display.
The highlight of the program is a tour of two special exhibitions held every Wednesday during the first three weeks. The exhibitions -- “Sculpted Celadon of the Goryeo Dynasty” and “Vienna 1900: The Dreaming Artists” -- delve into the beauty of Goryeo celadon, including 20 National Treasures, and Vienna’s vibrant early 20th-century modernist art scene, respectively.
The celadon exhibition showcases 274 pieces that were used as utensils or objects for display during the Goryeo Kingdom (918–1392). The objects come in the form of humans, animals and plants, as well as vases, pots and jars, reflecting Goryeo’s aesthetics, said Seo Yu-ri, the curator leading the tour.
Meanwhile, the “Vienna 1900” exhibition features 191 pieces on loan from Vienna’s Leopold Museum. The collection highlights how Vienna became a cultural and artistic hub of Europe. The featured works include pieces by pioneers such as painters Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele, as well as architect Josef Hoffmann
The curator-led tours also cover other exhibitions focusing on traditional Korean items, such as “giwa,” which are roof tiles made of molded and fired clay, and “najeonchilgi,” the lacquered mother-of-pearl boxes inlaid with chrysanthemum and vine scrolls that were used to store Buddhist scriptures during the Goryeo period. Instruments used in Buddhist temple ceremonies during the era are also on display.
The tours run from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and do not require reservations. Admission fees apply only to special exhibition tours.
