If you're a fan of K-pop like BTS or BLACKPINK, or cinema and drama like Parasite and Squid Game, you won't want to miss the first major exhibition focusing on South Korean pop culture and its global influence.
The “Hallyu! Korean Wave” exhibition is ready to give people a closer look at the phenomenon that Korean culture has become.
“It's multi-sensory, it's immersive. We want to use this story to say how Korea is a resilient country, a resilient country, and a country that is reinventing itself,” said Christina Yu Yu, head of the Department of Asian Art at the State Department in Boston.
Hallyu is a term that when translated literally means the Korean Wave. It was first coined in the early 2000s.
The exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston will feature about 250 artifacts such as costumes, art memorabilia and pop culture, including the pigeons from the movie Parasite and the uniforms worn in the drama Squid Game.
“You'll see different outfits worn by K-Pop groups like BTS and BLACKPINK. There are so many different stories that can be told, so we do that through local contemporary artists, as well as family photos from one of our State Department employees,” Yo-Yo said.
“It's amazing to see my family photos at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.”
For Julia Kim, this exhibition is personal.
Having the opportunity to show a little of Harabeoji and Halmeoni — her grandfather and grandmother — fills her with pride, she says, and she knows people will resonate with their story.
“I'm just talking about the experience of immigrants like my family. They were displaced from their homes,” Kim said.
President of the Korean Cultural Society of Boston, Byung Kim, told us that this will be an opportunity for people to really learn about the positive influences this community has on the world.
“Bostonians can come together, taste Korean culture and enjoy it with the Korean community,” Byung Kim said.
This exhibition will open to the public this weekend, Sunday, March 24, and will continue until the end of July.
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