POSCO donates tactile exhibit to National Museum of Korea

Inscriptions from historic stone monuments, which are reproduced with POSCO's PosArt technology, are seen on a scenic wall at the entrance of the Calligraphy and Painting Hall of the National Museum of Korea in Seoul in this undated photo. Courtesy of POSCO Group

The POSCO 1% Foundation has donated a PosArt-based tactile exhibit to the National Museum of Korea to help visitors with visual impairments and other disabilities better enjoy exhibitions, POSCO Group said Friday.

PosArt is the steelmaker’s premium color steel plate that applies high-resolution inkjet printing technology on special steel materials. By layering ink through advanced three-dimensional deposition, it achieves more than four times the image clarity of conventional color-coated steel plates.

Among the three types of PosArt-based installations donated is a tactile table that allows visitors to experience major calligraphic works through touch.

The table includes braille descriptions placed at accessible heights for visitors with disabilities, while three-dimensional tactile panels reproduce the subtle brush movements of master artists.

The feature also allows those without disabilities to explore the aesthetic beauty of traditional art through an expanded, multisensory experience.

The other installations include a large scenic wall at the entrance of the reopened Calligraphy and Painting Hall and four display showcases for the safe preservation of artifacts. The wall reproduces inscriptions from historic stone monuments, creating a grand visual space that captures the essence of Korean calligraphy.

“PosArt allows for delicate three-dimensional texture expression, so the foundation created a tactile art piece that enables visually impaired visitors to appreciate the textures of artworks by touch,” a POSCO Group official said.

“The exhibits were produced by POSCO Humans, a social enterprise and certified workplace for people with disabilities within the group.”

Supported by POSCO Group employees who donate 1 percent of their monthly salaries, the POSCO 1% Foundation launched this initiative to promote barrier-free exhibitions that remove physical and psychological barriers for socially disadvantaged groups.

Last December, the foundation also donated a customized dryer for hanji, or traditional Korean paper, to local artisans. Made from corrosion- and heat-resistant POSCO stainless steel, the dryer helped solve technical challenges in the traditional paper-making process.