Seoul Botanic Park attracts citizens with art exhibitions

A conservatory at the Seoul Botanic Park in Magok, southwestern Seoul. The park opened an art exhibition recently titled “Beneath the Forest” which runs until March 14. / Courtesy of Seoul Botanic Park

By Bahk Eun-ji

When it comes to botanical parks, what comes to mind for many is exotic greenery in arboretums and gardens full of various trees, plants and flowers.

Seoul Botanic Park, the country's first urban botanical park, has been drawing visitors looking for such an environment, serving as a green refuge for citizens who are fed up with air pollution. But in addition to the natural surroundings and fresh air, there is another reason for visitors to enjoy in the space ― its various art exhibitions.

PA Rang's “Dreaming Wolf” (2019) / Courtesy of Seoul Botanic Park

The park, located in western Seoul, is hosting a special exhibition titled “Beneath the Forest,” which will feature the beauty of forests, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

The exhibition, sponsored by the Embassy of Colombia in Korea, will be free of charge until March 14 next year.

It will display 21 art pieces by five Korean artists ― Kim Mi-kyung, Nam Hwa-yeon, Park Hyung-geun, Lee Jae-sam, and PA Rang ― as well as two videos by Colombian documentary producers and writers Clare Weiskopf and Patricia Ayala, and a number of miniature paintings donated by the embassy.

A captured image from Nam Hwa-yeon's “The Botany of Desire” (2015) /Courtesy of Seoul Botanic Park

In this exhibition, visitors can see each artist's interpretation of the word forest from various perspectives ― some regard forests as being mysterious and awe-inspiring, others view them as a resource to be developed and controlled by humans, while others see them as universes in which life is born and extinguished.

Photos and paintings will be displayed at Project Hall 2, the second floor of the park's botanical culture center. In particular, a curtain is hung along the wall and sounds of nature, such as birds and winds, are played so visitors will feel like they are walking through the wilderness.

On display are Park's photograph “Forbidden Forest” (2018), Lee's charcoal drawing “Beyond There” (2016) and PA Rang's painting “Dreaming Wolf” (2019).

Magok Cultural Hall, another building on the park compound, will display documentaries of the secretly preserved areas of Colombia, Vichada and Tacarcuna. “Vichada” (2017) was produced as part of the exploration for biodiversity research and conservation in Colombia, and “Tacarcuna” (2017) features the ecology of native forests and the indigenous culture of the region in the Darien Mountains, bordering Colombia and Panama.

Park Hyung-geun's “Forbidden Forest” (2018) / Courtesy of Seoul Botanic Park

Kim's photograph titled “The Forest” (2019) and media artist Nam's video artwork “The Botany of Desire” (2015) are also on display, as well as miniature paintings of the 18th century Colombian Royal Plant Expedition, which the Colombian Embassy donated in 2018.

“We hope that this exhibition, which was held in cooperation with Seoul Botanic Park and the Embassy of Colombia in Korea, will serve as an opportunity for visitors to think about and sympathize with the meaning and value of the forest,” Lee Won-young, director of the park, said in a press release.

“In the future, we will present a variety of exhibitions on not only plants but also plant-growing culture through wide exchanges with domestic and overseas institutions.”

When it comes to setting the theme of an exhibition, Jung Su-mi, exhibition curator of the park, said they consider the park's role of creating a plant- and eco-friendly culture in the city.

“Most citizens come to see the plants in the park. It seems they didn't expect to encounter such exhibitions, outdoor installations and sculptures, but most of them said they were pleased to enjoy not only the beautiful plants but also various artworks in our spacious park,” Jung said.

“It's as if you came here without expecting it and got an unexpected present. I hope that the exhibition at our park will provide an opportunity to feel the diversity and importance of plants that people often forget in everyday life.”

Since it opened in 2018, the first-ever public botanic theme park in Seoul has been providing a space where citizens can repose and recharge.

Last year, a media art exhibition titled “Lee Lee Nam, Encounter of Light” was held at Magok Cultural Center, where the video artist showed five works including “Light of Reborn, Yangcheon,” which reinterprets a famous painting of Kyomjae Jeong Seon, a landscape painter in Joseon Kingdom.

The park also held a number of international symposiums under various themes. Last month, an international conference was held virtually under the theme of “The Power of Plants,” as the park was temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Another international symposium was held last year to discuss the long-term direction of the botanic park's operation.

An official of Seoul Botanic Park said such conferences are part of their efforts to share creative ideas on ways to enhance the quality of exhibitions and educational content in botanical gardens.

“We have also tried to seek innovative methods for contactless operation of the park in the future,” she said.

The park has attracted more than 6.6 million visitors since its opening in October 2018.