Visitors view traditional Korean artwork during the exhibition opening at Việt Nam Museum of Ethnology. — Photo courtesy of Korean Cultural Centre

HÀ NỘI — An exhibition bringing traditional folk paintings into the digital age offers visitors an immersive, multi-sensory connection to Republic of Korean cultural heritage.

Titled The Living World Around Us, the exhibition explores through a contemporary lens the meanings of guardianship and peace embodied in traditional Korean paintings.

Featuring paintings, videos and media art collections from the National Folk Museum of Korea, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, in the Republic of Korea, and the National Palace Museum of Korea, the showcase newly embodies timeless wishes for peace and well-being, reaching audiences in Việt Nam across time and cultural boundaries.

Bridging traditional Korean painting with modern media art, the exhibition transforms familiar folk motifs through digital visuals and motion graphics to deliver a vibrant, multi-sensory experience.

Depictions of wildlife and nature traditionally captured on paper come alive through an interplay of light, motion and sound, delivering a novel and memorable experience to the Vietnamese public.

While culturally distinct, both the Republic of Korea and Việt Nam share a close bond with the natural world and a common desire for peace. The exhibition is expected to serve as a bridge, fostering deep empathy and mutual understanding between the peoples of both nations.

"It is our hope that traditional Korean paintings rich with wishes for peace and abundance will resonate deeply with the Vietnamese public," said Park Chan A, director of the Korean Cultural Centre in Việt Nam, at the exhibition opening.

"May this exhibition be a meaningful meeting point for both peoples to foster cultural resonance and mutual goodwill."

Reinterpreting the hidden meanings behind flora and fauna in traditional Republic of Korean art, the exhibition offers a fresh, contemporary perspective. For generations, Koreans have embedded wishes for health, peace and abundance into representations of the everyday natural world.

By showcasing a rich variety of imagery from tigers that drive away bad fortune to birds, butterflies, roosters and blooms representing joy and vitality, the exhibition brings to light timeless wishes for a harmonious life.

At the venue, visitors can also participate in hands-on Korean folk painting (minhwa) workshops. The interactive activity offers local audiences an accessible and engaging way to experience Korean culture firsthand.

The exhibition is co-organised by the Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange and the Korean Cultural Centre to mark the 20th anniversary of the centre's establishment.

At the opening ceremony, Nguyễn Phương Hòa, director of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's International Cooperation Department, expressed appreciation for the key role of the centre in policy exchanges, as well as in organising forums and seminars to promote cultural ties between the two nations.

"I hope the centre will continue to thrive and expand its collaborative network, taking a pioneering role in enhancing cultural exchange and deepening human connection between Việt Nam and Korea," Hòa said.

Since its establishment in 2006, the centre has actively promoted Korean culture to local audiences through a diverse range of artistic activities and cultural exchanges, fostering mutual understanding and deepening bilateral ties between the two countries.

The exhibition runs until November 29 at the Việt Nam Museum of Ethnology. — VNS