Media artwork with traditional Korean themes greet arrivals at Incheon Airport

Making an impression on people who have just stepped off their planes are works of media art with traditional Korean cultural elements newly installed at the arrivals hall of Terminal 1 at Incheon Airport.

Eight pieces of media art -- three works in the form of media walls, four kinetic artworks and one transparent LED display -- have been installed in the area between the arrival gates and immigration checkpoint, according to the National Palace Museum of Korea on Monday.

The three media walls of high-quality LED displays present four minutes of moving images with traditional Korean themes such as royal wrapping cloths, lacquerware inlaid with mother-of-pearl, traditional dance, Hangeul and beautiful Korean sceneries.

The kinetic artworks are installments that change part of their form in response to viewers’ movements. They also display traditional cultural elements such as sounds of gayageum, or Korea’s traditional 12-string zither, traditional patchwork jogakbo, traditional door frames with decorative patterns and a chaekgado, which is traditional painting of a bookshelf from the late Joseon era.

Those viewing the installation that uses gayageum music can enjoy the sound of the instrument and also explore sound pitches through color and light.

Two kinetic artwork pieces that feature traditional patchwork and traditional door frames are installed by the window in the form of a window blind and a screen fence, respectively. 

Yet another kinetic art installation offers a modern interpretation of an 18th-century chaekgado. It consists of 324 mobile screens that move vertically and features a traditional painting of a bookshelf.

Lastly, the National Palace Museum of Korea said its transparent LED artwork will display weather forecasts and other tourist information.

The media art project was conducted under a memorandum of understanding signed between the National Palace Museum and Incheon Airport on Jan. 31, 2020.

The National Palace Museum, in conjunction with the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation, was responsible for the design, production and installation of the artwork.

The National Palace Museum said it will continue with similar projects at three other arrival areas at Incheon Airport.

By Song Seung-hyun (ssh@heraldcorp.com)