Busan Museum, Various Domestic and International Exhibitions ... National Treasures and Treasures Exhibition

‘A Year of Creating Museum Cultural Spaces in Sympathy with Citizens’ Held

April 26?July 7 ‘Collectors Exhibition’ … National Treasures and Treasures Display

‘Gonyeo, a Window to the World’ … Introducing the World’s Only Gonyeo Exhibition

Busan Museum, celebrating this year as the 'Year of Creating a Museum Cultural Space in Sympathy with Citizens,' will hold a variety of domestic and international exhibitions, including a special exhibition of antique art, a children's themed special exhibition, and an overseas art exchange exhibition.

First, the special exhibition "Collector 傳: The Joy of Collecting, The Pleasure of Sharing" was planned to highlight the passion for collecting Korean cultural heritage and the spirit of social contribution of representative Korean entrepreneurs who grew their businesses based in Busan, such as the late Chairmen Lee Byung-chul and Lee Kun-hee.

The special exhibition will display 60 high-quality antique artworks, including 10 national treasures and treasures collected by Korea's representative collectors, such as the "White Porcelain Blue Bamboo Pattern Square Bottle" (National Treasure) and "Lee Am's Bird-and-Flower Gujado" (Treasure).

Baekja Blue-and-White Porcelain Bottle with Bamboo Pattern (白磁靑畵竹文角甁). Collection of the National Museum of Korea (Donated by the late Lee Kun-hee) [National Treasure].

The exhibited works were collected by leading Korean entrepreneurs who grew their companies based in Busan, including Samsung. This exhibition was planned to highlight their passion for collecting Korean cultural heritage and their spirit of social contribution.

In particular, this exhibition is the first time to showcase the antique art collection of the late Chairman Lee Kun-hee in Busan, and it is expected to greatly meet citizens' interest and expectations for high-quality cultural enjoyment.

Next, the children's themed special exhibition "Gonyeo, a Window to the World" is designed as an engaging experience program where children embark on a world tour through immersive video and meet imaginary animals via the world's only manuscript copy of "Gonyeojeondo."

The "Gonyeojeondo" held by Busan Museum is a large eight-panel folding screen world map, hand-copied and colored from a woodblock print made in 1674 in the Qing Dynasty by Belgian missionary Perverist. It is currently the world's only copy and is designated as a tangible cultural heritage of the city.

'Gonyeojeondo' in the collection of Busan Museum (City Tangible Cultural Heritage).

The map depicts the world's continents, oceans, mountain ranges, and rivers, with various geographic, environmental, and ecological information recorded in the margins. It also features detailed illustrations of all kinds of animals, ships, and imaginary creatures, reflecting the worldview of Europeans at the time.

Especially, after viewing the "Gonyeojeondo" exhibition, the children's themed special exhibition offers various experiential learning opportunities such as embarking on a world tour inside the map through immersive video, meeting imaginary animals like unicorns and mermaids, drawing maps, and solving puzzles.

The exchange special exhibition "History and Culture of North American Indigenous Peoples (tentative title)" is a traveling exhibition jointly hosted by the National Museum of Korea and the Denver Museum in the United States, showcasing the identity, culture, and art of North American Indigenous peoples.

The exchange exhibition will display over 140 items, including artworks representing North American Indigenous peoples such as Fritz Scholder's "Indian Power" and Andy Warhol's "American Indian (Russell Means)," as well as lifestyle crafts and artworks reflecting the Indigenous peoples' pursuit of harmony with nature.

By holding the first-ever exhibition in Korea focusing on North American Indigenous peoples following the National Museum of Korea, it will provide visitors with new understanding and perspectives on their identity, life, art, and cultural heritage in American society.

Through the traveling exhibition of artworks from renowned overseas museums, it is expected to offer citizens a unique cultural enjoyment opportunity at a local museum while also raising interest in overseas cultural diversity.

Jung Eun-woo, Director of Busan Museum, said, "We have prepared interesting and diverse exhibitions that are not easily accessible in daily life to provide citizens with various opportunities to enjoy culture," and added, "We ask for the active interest and participation of all citizens."