Illustrator Wooh Na-young's "Mickey Jangsaengdo" will be displayed at Deoksu Palace in Seoul from Sept. 28 to Oct. 20 as part of a collaboration between the Korea Heritage Service (KHS) and The Walt Disney Company Korea. Courtesy of KHS
Disney's beloved characters like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck are set to meet Korea's historic palace in an attempt to blend centuries-old royal heritage with globally adored pop culture icons in a unique exhibition.
The Korea Heritage Service (KHS), in charge of managing and promoting the nation's cultural heritage, said Monday that it will present the exhibition "Mickey in the palace: art beyond boundaries" at the palace in collaboration with The Walt Disney Company Korea.
Seen is a poster for exhibition “Mickey in the palace: art beyond boundaries,” which will be held Seoul's Deoksu Palace from Sept. 28 to Oct. 20, in collaboration with the Korea Heritage Service (KHS) and The Walt Disney Company Korea. Courtesy of KHS
The agency said this event will showcase works by local artists depicting Disney characters naturally blending with royal heritage at Dondeokjeon Hall, as part of its efforts to widely promote the value of national heritage.
"This exhibition is part of an agreement signed in June to enhance and widely promote the traditional value of national heritage both domestically and internationally," the KHS said. "It will present works reinterpreted from the perspective of young Korean artists, showing Disney characters visiting Deoksu Palace's Dondeokjeon Hall and naturally blending with the royal heritage."
Located inside Deoksu Palace, Dondeokjeon Hall is a historic Western-style building used as a royal guesthouse during the 1897-1910 Korean Empire period. The exhibition will be held at the palace from Sept. 28 to Oct. 20.
Notably, illustrator Wooh Na-young, the KHS's promotional ambassador, will present a six-panel folding screen depicting Mickey Mouse and friends experiencing various national heritages, including Deoksu Palace, while traveling in Korea.
The artist's work, titled "Mickey Jangsaengdo," is inspired by Sipjangsaengdo, a court painting wishing for longevity. It features Mickey and Minnie in traditional wedding attire and Donald Duck in hanbok, or traditional Korean costume.
Wooh expressed her joy in collaborating with Disney, which had inspired her on her journey to becoming an illustrator.
"Being an illustrator and being able to collaborate with Disney over and over again is one of my greatest blessings," Wooh said on Instagram.
Ahn Yu-jin, a holder of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage of dancheong, collaborates with contemporary artist Jang Seung-jin to create object works that blend traditional and modern aesthetics. Dancheong is a traditional form of decorative art based on five colors — blue, red, yellow, white and black — and involves coloring and pattern-drawing on the surfaces of wooden buildings as well as handicraft items.
Artist Kim Se-dong created print works depicting Disney characters enjoying themselves in front of the palace, while sculptor Kang Jae-won's balloon sculpture, portraying Disney characters walking on a bird in the palace pond, greets visitors.
During the exhibition period, photo zones will be set up where visitors can take pictures with Disney character sculptures.
The KHS added that a music video of K-pop group AKMU's Lee Su-hyun reinterpreting Disney theme songs against the backdrop of Seokjojeon Hall will be released through its YouTube channel.
The exhibition can be viewed daily from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., except on Mondays when Deoksu Palace is closed.