By Honorary Reporters Karolina Wojciechowska and Agnieszka Kowalczyk from Poland and Fetty Asihta Kencana Putri from Indonesia
Photos = Agnieszka Kowalczyk and Fetty Asihta Kencana Putri
A group of Honorary Reporters on April 4 visited the Korean Culture Center (KCC) in Warsaw, Poland, for the official launch of the exhibition "Experiments with the Hangeul Alphabet," part of a program hosted by the Korean Cultural and Information Service under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to tour 15 cities worldwide.
The KCC pamphlet said the exhibition, which runs through May 31, contains three sections. The first shows the origins and flexibility of Hangeul both phonetically and written, the second focuses on its reinterpretation and use of its letters in creative ways, and the third showcases Hangeul's ability to create experimental art.
Wojciechowska: I think that this exhibition is amazing. As someone learning Korean, I viewed Hangeul in new and unconventional ways thanks to this exhibition. I knew from the beginning that the Korean alphabet is amazing but this punctuated it. What I loved was the way all three sections smoothly transition into one another, from introducing Hangeul and understanding its unique points to its use in art in unusual ways.
Kowalczyk: As a Korean philology student, I've learned a lot about Hangeul, its creation and history over the years. But this exhibition made me look at it from a totally different angle, showing how artists depict Hangeul in their works and an array of combinations and structures. I was impressed to see many people at the exhibition's opening as the number of people want to know about Korea and its culture and history has grown. I spoke to other visitors about the fascinating works at the exhibition, and this made my visit more memorable and unique.
Putri: As an expat in Warsaw and student of Korean, I looked forward to this exhibition. Hangeul is extraordinary but this exhibition made me view Hangeul from a different point of view. Hangeul is not only easy to learn and used by many but also inspires artists to experiment with it in many forms, materials and familiar objects. I was mesmerized by the wonderful art at this exhibition.
Wojciechowska: The works I found most impactful were by Kang Goo-ryong. I enjoyed his "Power & Water" because of its simplicity. The Hangeul letters are in new shapes but still easy to read, and he showcased the meaning of those words. The form of the word "power" reminds me of a traditional Korean pagoda but that for "water" is more smooth, with horizontal lines like waves, especially with water splashes added to them. Considering the phonetics of those words, I could see and feel the terms the artist tried to convey.
Kowalczyk: I was almost immediately drawn to clothes designed by Kim Ji-man, an artist inspired by Hangeul. The words he used included "I'm sorry," "Thank you" and "I love you." Kim sought to show words commonly used but still hard to say written in a graffiti style that made the clothes fashionable and stylish. Many still love to wear clothes designed this way. This showed me how proud Koreans are of their language and the invention of Hangeul even after all these years.
Putri: My personal favorite from this exhibition is "Hangeul Tableware" by Ha Jee-hoon. It looks like a usual table from a distance, but a closer look shows wooden tableware with Hangeul syllabic blocks carved into the edge of each tableware with beautiful craftsmanship. The Hangeul letters form a phrase from the original Hangeul textbook Hunminjeongeum (The Proper Sounds for Instruction of the People). Ha said he wants to simultaneously convey the simplicity and sophistication of Hangeul, reinterpreting letters through familiar objects such as tables.
