June 2025
The Korean Cultural Center in Brazil is hosting a special exhibition titled “Korean Painting: Stamp and Design,” curated by Korean artist Suldurumi, on view through June 29. The exhibition offers a contemporary reimagining of traditional Korean art through the eyes of the artist.
Visitors can explore a collection of 20 graphic prints inspired by bojagi (traditional Korean wrapping cloth), 19 intricately rendered minhwa (folk paintings) and 30 interactive stamps. Notably, the exhibit features graphic reinterpretations of celebrated Joseon-era works such as Kim Hong-do’s “Korean Traditional Wrestling,” “A Village School” and “Rice Threshing,” as well as Shin Yun-bok’s “Two Lovers Under the Moonlight,” “Scenery on Dano Day” and “Sun, Moon and Five Peaks.” These works invite both familiarity and discovery, offering new resonance for those already acquainted with Korean painting and a modern entry point for those encountering it for the first time.
The interactive element of the exhibition allows visitors to use the stamps placed throughout the space to create their own artwork. A dedicated area introduces creative techniques using ink and stamps and specially designed stamps have been produced exclusively for this exhibition. Guests are welcome to take their self-made artworks home, making for a personal and memorable museum experience.
In celebration of the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation and the founding of Austria’s Second Republic, the Korean Cultural Center in Austria is hosting “Mega Seoul 8 Decades,” an exhibition running through Jul. 11.
The exhibition explores Seoul’s rapid transformation over the past eight decades, offering a multifaceted view of the city as seen through the eyes of twelve Korean photographers across three generations. Once a war-torn capital in the wake of the Korean War, Seoul has undergone a remarkable evolution, emerging as a global metropolis shaped by industrialization, the 1988 Olympics, rapid modernization and vibrant cultural expansion.
The exhibition delves into the multifaceted nature of Seoul—a city shaped by diverse values, a deep historical current, and the coexistence and clash of different cultural currents—through the lens of photographers from different generations. A particularly notable highlight is the inclusion of works by HyoungRok Lee, a leading figure in Korea’s early realist photography movement. His photographs from the 1950s and 60s capture a Seoul that is nearly unrecognizable today, offering rare glimpses into the city’s past. Through his images, visitors can witness Korea’s rapid urbanization and development and experience the layered charm that defines the Seoul of yesterday and today.
A total of 12 photographers are featured in the exhibition, from established masters to mid-career and emerging artists, offering a wide range of perspectives on Seoul’s evolution.
The Korean Cultural Center in Austria is open Monday through Friday, from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. (excluding public holidays). Admission to the exhibition is free, and directions or inquiries can be found at https://vienna.korean-culture.org/ad.
