NMK opens exhibitions on Indian, Native American cultures

A visitor views works on display at a special exhibition of early Buddhist art in India at the National Museum of Korea, in Seoul, Dec. 21. (Yonhap)

South Korean state-run museums will present a diverse range of exhibitions this year, including cultural exhibits on India and Native Americans, and a retrospective on South Korea’s modern history.

Through mid-April, the National Museum of Korea is showcasing early Buddhist art from India. The first-ever exhibition on the topic in Korea features 97 pieces brought together from museums in India, the US, the UK and Germany.

The show is an adaptation of “Tree & Serpent: Early Buddhist Art in India,” an exhibition that took place last year at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Around half of the artifacts on display at the NMK were used to decorate “stupa,” dome-shaped Buddhist monuments, in southern India from 200 BC to AD 400.

An exhibition on Native American culture will take place at the NMK in June. Jointly organized with the Denver Art Museum in Colorado, the exhibition will explore North American Native art from the 19th century, according to a senior official at the museum.

Another joint exhibition involving the NMK and its Japanese and Chinese counterparts -- the Tokyo National Museum and the National Museum of China -- will present lacquerware from the three respective nations.

Meanwhile, the National Folk Museum of Korea plans to delve into aspects of modern life, hosting exhibits on cats and coffee, in April and August, respectively.

“We immediately think of the two when we talk about everyday life,” a senior museum official said, noting that it will be the first time for the institution to address the two in an independent exhibition.

By Choi Si-young(siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com)