By Kwon Mee-yoo
The National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea (NMOCA) has won a Red Dot Award: Communication Design 2012 for its exhibition “Dansaekhwa: Korean Monochrome Painting.”
It won in the Event Design category for exceptional use of space, maximizing the appreciation of visitors.
“Dansaekhwa.” held at the Gwacheon building of NMOCA from March 17 to May 13, featured some 150 works by 31 artists who portrayed the spirituality of Korea through solid colors.
The exhibition was designed to create different scenes with various works depending on the viewer’s stand point. The partition walls of the gallery became a medium for creating communication between the works and the viewers.
The concept of looking through window openings in traditional Korean architecture was brought into the design, creating layers of space in the hall. Visitors were able to see the artworks through the walls, experiencing the two-dimensional pieces in a three-dimensional sense.
“The design of the Dansaekhwa exhibition was faithful to the narrative of the structure and the winning of the Red Dot Award proves the quality of NMOCA’s exhibition design,” the NMOCA said in a press release.
The Red Dot Awards, hosted by Design Zentrum Nordheim Westfalen in Germany, are among the most prestigious design awards in the world. More than 6,823 entries from 43 countries were submitted this year and 15 international juries evaluated the applicants based on criteria such as recognition value and social relevance.
The award ceremony will be held at the Red Dot Design Museum in Germany on Oct. 24.