Ancient royal banquets meet augmented reality in high tech airport exhibition

An augmented-reality reconstruction of a royal banquet ceremony from an 1848 Joseon Dynasty court record is displayed via tablet PCs at Changgyeong Palace in Seoul, Nov. 7, 2024. Korea Times file

For the next month, international travelers clearing customs at Incheon International Airport will be greeted not just by the hum of baggage carousels, but by a vivid, high-tech resurrection of Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) royal court ceremonies and shimmering mother-of-pearl lacquerware.

The Korea Heritage Service, alongside the Korea Heritage Agency and the Korea Creative Content Agency, unveiled a groundbreaking digital exhibition on Monday titled “Tech-Driven Heritage: Great Heritage Evolving Through New Technology and Content.” Staged at the airport’s K-Culture Museum, the 30-day showcase leverages cutting-edge media art to transform traditional assets into interactive, modern experiences.

The exhibition's timing intentionally overlaps with the 48th UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting scheduled for mid-July. By positioning the showcase inside the airport, cultural officials intend to offer foreign delegates, journalists and tourists an immediate look at Korea’s soft power and its sophisticated synthesis of history and computing.

Among the standout digital installations is “Immersive Uigwe: Royal Banquet,” which uses augmented reality and high-fidelity computer graphics to reconstruct an 1848 royal court feast honoring Queen Sunwon. Another piece transforms King Jeongjo’s historic 1795 procession to Suwon into a sprawling digital landscape, using traditional ink-wash aesthetics updated for ultrawide screens.

The exhibition also features “Digital Najeonchilgi,” a high-definition rendering that marks the first time Korea has successfully digitized the microscopic light reflections and deep contrasts of traditional mother-of-pearl artistry. Additionally, visitors can view a high-profile media facade piece originally exhibited at the Korean pavilion during last year’s World Expo in Osaka.

“This exhibition proves that our heritage is no longer a static record of the past,” a spokesperson for the Korea Heritage Service said, adding that the initiative represents a broader government push to democratize cultural assets through aggressive tech integration.

The exhibition runs daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. through July 28, offering a quiet, high-tech oasis for travelers stepping between the ancient and the modern.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.