Lights here, lights there, lights everywhere

Following is part of a series exploring unique museums, collections and the passionate collectors behind them. ― Ed.


One of the men responsible for illuminating the world, Thomas Edison, was an American inventor who transformed the way people live their daily lives by inventing the first practical use light bulb in 1879.

From having to solely rely on the sun and the moon as a source of light, to rubbing sticks of wood together to spark flames, mankind can now turn on the light with a simple flick of a switch.

The Lighting Museum gives a nod to this invention and dedicates itself purely to the education, experience and display of the many uses of lights.

“What makes our museum different from other museums is that we are all about lights,” said curator Lee Hwi-young. “But it’s beyond just light bulbs; we show all the uses and practicalities of light as well.” 

History of lights

The history section of the museum is organized with the theme of past, present and future. Visitors can wander through the maze of antique candlestick holders and traditional Korean lanterns all the way to antique lamps and lighting fixtures.

Step-by-step, visitors can see the progress light has made throughout the years from fire to electric bulbs and fluorescent lighting. This section of the museum explains ancient lighting techniques and also houses a large array of fancy Victorian-style lamps and brass chandeliers from the early 1900s. Many lamps from this era feature elaborate floral designs with women or angel statutes being used a base.

Upon exiting the historical section, visitors can gaze at the varying displays of modern lighting, including fiber optics and creative wire light art designs in all different shapes and sizes.

Science of light

“In the science and light section, you can learn all about how light originated and its scientific merit,” said Lee.

Also located inside the large museum is a small replica of a hospital room depicting the use of light therapy as a source of healing. Light therapy is often used as a treatment for a variety of illnesses including skin, sleep, psychiatric and seasonal disorders.

In this wing of the museum, one can also experience how light can be used as an optical illusion by staring into a large, spinning black and white spiral wheel resting underneath a brightly lit bulb.

“Continuously staring at this spiral wheel for about 15 seconds and then looking at the still painting of clouds, the clouds will appear to be moving,” said Lee. “The lights here are creating a visual illusion.”

Art of illumination

The museum is currently displaying a temporary exhibition titled “Bang & Lee: Freinds in the Living Room,” a tribute to the classic American political novella “Animal Farm” by George Orwell. The intentional misspelling of the word friend to “freind” is meant to represent the complications and confusions that occurred when the animals in the text were learning the language of humans and misspelled the term. The exhibition is a video art and light display that is intended to represent the media’s change and influence on society with respect to the meaning of value of the world.

“Light has opened the doors to new forms of art,” said the curator.

The exhibition includes light displays that illuminate phrases as parodies of the popular songs “You Were My Sunshine, My Only Sunshine” and “I Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You.” There is also a video projector that projects a cluster of photos of people onto a wall. The exhibition will be on display through Friday.

The museum is also currently holding its “Christmas Village” winter exhibition where children can venture into the land of Santa’s workshop and create their own light-inspired foam figures and miniature Christmas trees. The “Christmas Village” exhibition will run through Jan. 27.

Lighting Museum

Location: 628-8 Seoku-li, Gwangjeok-myeon, Yangju, Gyeonggi Province; 070-7780-8911

Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. Closed on public holidays.

Admission: 5,000 won for adults, 4,000 won for youths and children. Admission for the special Christmas Village exhibition is 10,000 won for those under 14, and 5,000 won for those 14 and older.

By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)