'Korea: Cubically Imagined' exhibition kicks off in Paris
A scene from immersive VR content "Parasite" / Courtesy of KOCCA
By Park Han-sol
The long-anticipated exhibition, “Korea: Cubically Imagined,” which creatively reinterprets K-pop juggernaut BTS's thrilling concert performance, as well as the film set of the Oscar-winning “Parasite” film in virtual reality, finally kicked off at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, Tuesday (CET).
Co-hosted by UNESCO and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and organized by the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), the event presents 12 different forms of immersive content, ranging from K-pop, to contemporary art, to traditional cultural heritage, using video projection mapping as well as VR and AR technology.
The exhibition provides a chance for viewers to visit virtually the surreal, creatively reimagined sets of the film, “Parasite,” amid the film's memorable torrential downpour, including the wealthy Park family's living room and front yard, which stand in stark contrast to the impoverished Kim family's half-basement flat. The clip is sprinkled with iconic symbols, cinematic metaphors and Easter eggs from scenes in the film that fans will not be able to forget.
Megastar group BTS's stage performances of “Dope” and “DNA” at the online concert, “BTS Map of the Soul ON:E,” last year have also been brought to life in an augmented virtual environment, in which visitors can use VR headsets or stand within a cube-shaped platform with three LED screens as walls for an immersive musical experience.
The Joseon king's procession in the late 18th century, together with scenic Mount Kumgang, as if straight out of traditional Korean paintings, are reborn via the latest motion capture technology within the works of the National Museum of Korea, while the dynamic movements of hangeul characters become the center of Tacit Group's interactive media art work, “Morse ㅋung ㅋung.”
Other notable forms of virtual content include space-based UX design company d'strict's iconic iterations of “Wave,” “Beach” and other natural scenery, as well as Vive Studio's short film, “The Brave New World,” created using the company's own version of immersive technology.
Viewers stand within a cube-shaped platform with three LED screens as walls to watch "Parasite" rendered in virtual reality. Courtesy of KOCCA
The cube-shaped platforms, where most of these video contents are featured, are one of the highlights of “Korea: Cubically Imagined,” as suggested by the event's title. In particular, they contribute to the exhibition's sustainability, as they are made with light, customized LEGO blocks and are therefore easily built and disassembled, making it feasible to re-use them multiple times in different locations.
“The exhibition is a significant platform for Korea to showcase to the world forms of immersive content that combine the country's cultural creativity and assets with cutting-edge technology in celebration of the U.N.-designated 'International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development,'” Dragon Park, general director of the global business division at KOCCA, told The Korea Times.
“And UNESCO is an important institutional and symbolic stage for culture, housing permanent delegations from across the world. Presenting works that attest to Korea's immersive content production and creative abilities to opinion leaders in Paris is meaningful both in terms of national prestige and global business.”
After the event wraps up on July 16, the content featured will be available for online viewing globally. Part of the exhibition will also appear at the Korean Culture Center in Paris from July 21 for more than three weeks.
The “Korea: Cubically Imagined” travel exhibition series is scheduled to continue throughout the year in other countries and locations including Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, New York and Los Angeles. But the content displayed will not be the same in every city, as it will need to reflect each host nation's cultural interests in and popular opinions about Korea ― lifestyle, Hallyu and tourism for the ASEAN countries, for example ― Park stated.