Seoul Craft Museum opens hands-on 'Secrets of Wood' children's exhibition
The exterior of the Craft Museum for Children, part of the Seoul Museum of Craft Art, features stacked circular terracotta louvers inspired by an eolle, a traditional Korean wooden thread reel. Courtesy of Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport
Wood becomes more than something to build with at a new exhibition in Seoul, where children can follow its grain, explore its textures and scents, assemble wooden letters and turn traditional woodworking techniques into games.
The Seoul Museum of Craft Art opened "Secrets of Wood," an interactive exhibition developed in collaboration with woodworking artist Somokjang Semi, on Tuesday at the Children's Museum on the third floor of its Education Building.
The exhibition runs through Sept. 19, 2027, and features seven interactive installations designed to introduce children to the physical properties and creative possibilities of wood.
The exhibition is organized around three themes: discovering the senses, discovering structures and discovering possibilities.
The first section invites children to explore the colors, patterns, textures and scents of different types of wood through installations including an acupressure bench and a rotating maze inspired by underground tree roots.
The second section focuses on construction and design, allowing children to assemble wooden pieces into Korean letters and words and create images using decorative wood veneers.
In the final section, physical activities and cooperative games demonstrate how wood can become a medium for movement and social interaction.
Among the installations are a climbing activity involving suspended wooden balls, a foosball table and a two-person game in which participants coordinate their movements to guide a ball toward its destination.
Somokjang Semi, whose legal name is Yoo Hye-mi, has worked with traditional woodworking techniques to create furniture, spatial installations and play structures, reinterpreting traditional joinery methods for contemporary settings.
The museum plans to hold workshops with the artist in December, giving children an opportunity to meet her and learn about woodworking.
Advance reservations are required through the museum's website under general admission to the Children's Museum.
"I hope this exhibition will provide children with an opportunity to become more familiar with wood and craft," said Park Sang-bin, director of the Seoul Museum of Craft Art.
"We will continue to present various exhibitions through collaborations with craft artists to broaden children's curiosity and imagination."
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.