[Eye Plus] Moment of peace and silence in the evening at National Museum of Korea

When it comes to nightlife, Seoul may be a restless city with its glittering building signs, rowdy car horns and packed crowds spilling out from work. But there is always a place to take a break from urban life and take a small emotional refuge.

With numerous ancient sculptures and artworks, the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan-gu, central Seoul, is a home to art from Korea and beyond. But the serene museum is also a place of peace and silence. 

In a darkened part of the museum, a black hallway leading to two priceless Pensive Bodhisattvas sit in a room decorated with French artist Jean-Julien Puss’ media art “Cycle,” representing outer space.

This exhibition, called “A Room of Quiet Contemplation,” with its ceiling of night sky full of stars makes visitors feel as if they have escaped the real world.

Crossing over 1,400 years, the delicate expressions of the fingers and the mysterious smiles of the Bodhisattva statues offer a special spiritual experience. It gives visitors a chance to lose themselves in deep and serene thoughts.

Visit in the evening, when the darkened exhibition hall is illuminated with a mesmerizing media facade on the Ten-story Stone Pagoda from Gyeongcheonsa Temple, presenting the story of a famous tale from “Journey to the West.”

Viewers can continue their quiet contemplation even after leaving the building, strolling around the calm Mirror Pond and taking a seat at an old Korean pavilion called Cheongjajeong.

A five-minute walk from Exit No. 2 and No. 3 of Ichon Station on Subway Line No. 4, the National Museum of Korea has extended hours on Wednesdays and Saturdays, when they are open through 9:00 p.m.

Photos by Park Hyun-koo

Written by Lee Si-jin

By Lee Si-jin (sj_lee@heraldcorp.com)