Located in the south-east of the Korean peninsula, Gyeongju was for nearly a thousand years the capital of the Silla kingdom (57 BCE – 935 CE). It houses numerous archaeological sites and remains that bear witness to the cultural richness and traditions of this period.
Seokguram, located on Mount Toham in Gyeongju, is an artificial grotto built from finely cut granite blocks assembled with remarkable precision. A true masterpiece of Buddhist art from the Unified Silla kingdom (668-935), it bears witness to the artistic refinement, architectural mastery and openness to the world that characterised this period. In 1995, Seokguram was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, in recognition of its exceptional heritage value.
This exhibition was designed to offer visitors a more immersive discovery of Seokguram, a true jewel of Silla culture and a reflection of the Buddhist universe. It presents the original architecture and the remarkable construction techniques of the monument. Thanks to the photographs taken by Han Seokhong, who devoted his life to immortalising Korean cultural heritage, visitors will also be able to appreciate the beauty of the sculptures that make up the grotto. Among them, the statues of monks, bodhisattvas and buddhas bear witness to the sacred dimension of religious art.
The exhibition also offers an immersive and sensory experience through various digital and educational devices. An LED screen notably allows visitors to discover the main historical sites of Gyeongju, including the Bulguksa temple and the Seokguram grotto, while braille supports and tactile devices invite visitors to approach the works through touch. These different approaches thus offer a both concrete and accessible discovery of Korean cultural heritage.
The exhibition also highlights the Buddhist culture of the Silla kingdom through the presentation of emblematic sites and objects. Seokguram embodies the ideal vision of the Buddhist world to which the Unified Silla kingdom aspired; the glazed wall bricks decorated with guardian motifs from the Sacheonwangsa site evoke the protection of the Buddhist Law; the pond and the lotuses, which connect the world of the Buddha to the earthly world; as well as the Sūtra of the Great Dharani of the Pure and Immaculate Light, which represents the realisation of the Buddha's world through sacred writings.
Finally, the exhibition proposes to connect past and present through installations and works by contemporary artists who reinterpret the Buddhist culture and aesthetics of Silla. With Yeonji, Kim Eun-ha gives new life to pottery, roof tile fragments discovered in temples and recycled fibres, brought together in a poetic creation. Lee Seung-chul revisits traditional Buddhist sculpture through reproductions on hanji paper, while Sohn Dae Hyun highlights the richness of Korean craftsmanship with Buddha sculptures made using different techniques, notably lacquer, ivory, mother-of-pearl and gilding. Finally, Studio Shinyoo offers a contemporary reinterpretation of the Buddhist pagoda, symbol of the relics of the Buddha, the practice of the Dharma and the wishes made by the faithful. Associated with objects dating from the Silla period, this installation invites visitors to linger around the works, to make their own wishes and to reflect.
From 23 November, a new immersive exhibition will complement the discovery of Seokguram. Through a hyperrealistic reconstruction and a mapping projection on four canvases, the public will be able to virtually explore the grotto and discover this emblematic site from a new perspective.
Information at coree-culture.org