Latvia Embassy unveils exhibition showcasing 30th anniversary of Latvia-Korea relations

The Latvian Embassy in Seoul unveiled an exhibition Teusday to mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Latvia and Korea.

The exhibition titled “Latvia: A New Beginning” was unveiled at the Geumjeong Cultural Center in Busan and will showcase diversity of Latvia’s culture until Oct. 9.

One part of the exhibition, “Latvia. Architecture at Convergence,” reflects the rich culture of Latvia and has been created as a follow-up to a special issue of the Japanese architectural magazine a+u showcasing Latvian architecture.

The exhibition also displays photographs by Jurgis Rikveilis featuring a present-day take on the significance of Latvian traditional dress.

A perfect addition to the photos is a special comment prepared by Aija Jansone, head of the ethnography section at the Ethnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia.

Young visitors can enjoy an exposition of illustrations and sketches, “Travel on Paper,” by the Latvian artist illustrator Gundega Muzikante with vivid characters from Latvian books.

Those interested in sightseeing can get to know Latvia by taking a virtual tour developed by a Latvian company, Ocean Multimedia. The virtual trip had already garnered attention among viewers this spring, when the Gimpo Cultural Center hosted an exhibition on Latvia organized by the embassy.

Latvian animated films -- “Away” by Gints Zilbalodis, “Jacob, Mimi and the Talking Dogs” by Edmunds Jansons, “Rocks in My Pockets” by Signe Baumane, and “The Sun Rides up into the Sky” by Roze Stiebra -- will also be screened during the exhibition.

The exhibition is part of a series of events in 2021 to mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Latvia and the Republic of Korea.

Latvian-Korean diplomatic relations were established in Riga on Oct. 22, 1991.

By Sanjay Kumar (sanjaykumar@heraldcorp.com)