Hans-Ulrich Seidt. Ambassador of Germany to South Korea
Ten German museums, which house some 8,000 Korean artworks and relics, have selected 116 items for a two-year touring exhibition that is now under way. The exhibition, titled “Korea Rediscovered! Treasures from German Museums,” started on March 25 at the Museum of East Asian Art in Cologne, and will go to three other German cities until February 17, 2013.
I would like to share the joy with all the people who have helped with the exhibition. Many special thanks go to the Korea Foundation and the 10 participating museums, including the Museum of East Asian Art, Cologne; Museum of Asian Art, National Museums in Berlin; GRASSI Museum of Ethnography, Leipzig; and the Linden-Museum, Stuttgart.
The 116 exhibits include artifacts from the Three Kingdoms period to the Joseon Dynasty, ranging from “Water-Moon Avalokitesvara,” exemplifying the prominent tradition of Goryeo Dynasty Buddhist painting, to genre paintings by Kim Jun-geun (style name Gisan) of the late Joseon period, as well as Joseon white porcelain vessels. The 400-page exhibition catalogue also is packed with information about the exhibition and relations between the two countries.
The exhibition is a significant testimony to the bilateral relations between Korea and Germany over the past century. It also shows that German collectors have long appreciated the outstanding value and aesthetics of Korean works of art. Individual collectors tried to help preserve and protect Korean cultural assets by recording the daily lives and traditions in Korea through photographs and videos during the last years of the late Joseon period, when Korea`s unique culture was threatened by outside forces.
Adolf Fischer and his wife Frieda Bartdorff, founders of the Museum of East Asian Art in Cologne, acquired an extensive collection of Korean art, including Buddhist paintings and celadon objects of the Goryeo period, from 1905 to 1911. They tried to introduce Korean art as being on a par with Chinese and Japanese art. Benedictine monks who engaged in missionary activities in Korea also contributed to preserving Korean artifacts. In particular, Father Norbert Weber produced a video titled “Land of Morning Calm,” a precious record of Korean culture and traditions.
I am pleased and gratified that leading German museums have come to introduce Korean art and culture as unique legacies that enrich the cultural heritage of humanity. Korea, which had locked its door until 1867, is now among leaders of the global community shaping the world as a member of the G20, the United Nations and other international groups. All in all, shedding renewed light on Korean culture that traces back thousands of years, I believe, is an essential step forward for the common future of Korea and Germany.
Fuente:[ JoongAng Ilbo, April 29 ]