Exhibition invites children to rethink stars, light pollution

An exhibition for children has opened that invites them to take action on reducing light pollution and appreciate the stars.

“Starry Starry Night!,” running through August 2026 at the National Folk Museum of Korea, explores night and darkness. Children up to elementary school age are led to study the diminishing presence of stars, which are being drowned out by artificial light, said curator Yoo Min-ji, who led the preopening tour Monday.

“Of all the topics that could help raise awareness of eco-conscious actions, light pollution is arguably the least challenging for children to identify with. They could immediately turn off their lights at home,” Yoo said.

The exhibition, held at the Exhibition Hall 2 to mark its reopening, features interactive installations that engage children with talking-plants and animals that ask for the preservation of their space.

A separate zone allows star gazing at night, unobstructed by city lights.

“The redesigned hall is supposed to make children feel like being in an attic,” Yoo noted of the makeover highlights in addition to a darker ambiance that characterized the new room.

The latest technologies like artificial intelligence played a role in the remodeling, Yoo added, referring to dialogues between today’s children and people born a century ago. An exploration of how people of different times viewed stars and night serves as an introduction to the entire exhibition, Yoo said.

The free exhibition has explanations in English.