Splendour and Finesse. Spirit and Substance in Korean Art

This National Museum in Warsaw exhibition, prepared in partnership with the National Museum of Korea in Seoul, will be the largest presentation of Korean art in Poland to date.

Celebrating the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Poland and the Republic of Korea, the exhibition was envisioned as a response to the Polish Art: An Unduring Spirit exhibition which took place in Seoul in 2015.

The Warsaw exhibition will feature artefacts spanning millennia, from prehistory all the way to the end of the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1897). Comprising Buddhist sculptures, scroll paintings, fine ceramics and exquisite textiles, alongside works of metal, lacquer and stone, it will let viewers experience the wealth of Korea’s artistic tradition and Far Eastern beauty.

The objects in the exhibition come from the National Museum of Korea in Seoul, which houses the greatest collection of artefacts from the region. The exhibition strives to show a different side of Korea—generally associated with modern technology and popular culture in Poland—as a country with a long history going back to antiquity and a tradition of excellent art. This is sure to be a standout event both in the calendar of the National Museum in Warsaw and in the course of cultural relations between Poland and Korea.