Need a burst of colors and fresh ideas? Head to the Korean Cultural Center: from the ancestral Obangsaek to digital installations, the "Colors of Korea" exhibition creates a sensory rainbow that will electrify your autumn... and beyond!
Need a burst of colors and fresh ideas? Head to the Korean Cultural Center: from the ancestral Obangsaek to digital installations, the "Colors of Korea" exhibition creates a sensory rainbow that will electrify your autumn... and beyond!
"140 Years of French-Korean Friendship": a perfect excuse to roll out the red (and yellow, blue, white, black) carpet for the creativity of the Land of the Morning Calm.
From October 24, 2025, to August 29, 2026, the Korean Cultural Center in Paris will transform its space into a giant kaleidoscope where painting, sculpture, photography, video, and digital art converse. A chromatic dive that is perfectly timed: according to the Art Basel 2024 report, the market share of Asian artists has jumped by 14% in five years.
It's definitely time to sharpen one's eye... and one's calendar!
In Korea, color is not just a matter of the retina; it speaks to the body and connects the seasons, the cardinal points, the elements. The "Obangsaek," blue, red, yellow, white, black, flows through textiles, temples, cuisine, and, of course, visual arts. Right at the entrance of the exhibition, an immersive setup projects these cardinal hues into the space: an opportunity to feel (almost physically) how yin-yang and the Five Elements theory continue to infuse contemporary Korean creation.
First installment, first emotional stir. Under the banner "Traditions in Motion," LEE Ungno unfolds his People series, calligraphed silhouettes that seem to whisper. Yeesookyung painstakingly reassembles shards of Joseon porcelain with fine gold, as if to mend a shattered memory. WOO Hannah knits hanji paper into delicate, almost organic reliefs. The result: the past does not appear static, but very much alive, ready to resonate at our fingertips.
In the second room, the focus is on the pulse of life. The large canvases of YOU Guimi (the magnetic "Yellow Garden") converse with the mineral canvases of Chae Sung-Pil. Further on, LEE Bae makes charcoal crackle; one can almost smell its scent. This tension between transience and permanence resonates with our ecological concerns: in 2024, 63% of exhibition visitors claimed to seek "a sensory connection with nature" (IFOP study). The bet is met here.
It is impossible to discuss Korean art without acknowledging the Dansaekhwa, a minimalist movement that emerged in the 1970s. The textured surfaces of PARK Seo-Bo or HA Chong-Hyun capture light like a breath. In front of a canvas by KIM Tschang-Yeul, each painted water droplet suspends time. In a world where everything rushes by, these works offer a slowed-down tempo, almost therapeutic. They remind us that visual simplicity can be of incredible richness.
Era change, air change! The latest installment propels the visitor into an area where AI, biology, and data merge. BÄ Hejum makes LEDs pulse to the rhythm of biometric signals, KIM Yunchul choreographs electromagnetic fluids, and the duo Shinseungback-Kimyonghun questions artificial vision. Fun fact: according to the firm Markets & Markets, the "art + immersive technology" segment is expected to be worth 8.9 billion dollars by 2027. Suffice it to say that Seoul, already the world capital of 5G, has a head start.
Craving to feast your eyes (again)? Book your slot from December 15, 2025, to February 21, 2026. Seated in the auditorium, "Once in a Lifetime" by Jin Meyerson blurs the lines between painting, generative video, and memories of exile. The artist mixes randomization algorithms with oil painting techniques; the result crackles like an Instagram feed on a poetry high. A little advice: let yourself be drawn to the central bench for guaranteed hypnotic effects.
National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Korea, Nemo Biennale, Fiminco Foundation, fifteen French-Korean galleries... The list of supporters is dizzying. Between the lines, a realization: the Korean scene is no longer a "trend," but a pillar of the market. Between 2019 and 2023, auctions dedicated to Korean artists have climbed by 32% worldwide. It goes without saying that the Paris exhibition arrives at a key moment for those who want to discover (or invest in) K-art.
Where? Korean Cultural Center, 2 avenue d'Iéna, Paris 16th district.
When? From 24/10/2025 to 29/08/2026, from Tuesday to Saturday, 11am-7pm.
How much? Free admission (yes!).
Tip: Combine your visit with a stop at CENTQUATRE-PARIS to explore other aspects of the Némo Biennial. Metro line 6 connects them in less than 20 minutes.
• Dansaekhwa: Korean minimalist movement, literally "monochrome painting".
• Hanji: traditional Korean paper made from mulberry, known for its durability.
• Obangsaek: symbolic system of five colors connected to the Five Elements and directions.
Keep these concepts in mind, they act as a thread. And above all, open your eyes wide: Korean art, more than a trend, has become an incredible emotional laboratory, ready to transform our perception of color... and of ourselves.
Author Audrey on 16 February 2024
Art and Culture : Music
Author Audrey on 09 July 2024
Art and Culture : Museums