Kang Ik-joong's public art installation "Hangeul Wall" at the Korean Cultural Center New York features some 20,000 tiles inscribed with Hangeul. Courtesy of KCCNY

"Hangeul Wall," a towering 22-meter public art installation, was unveiled at the Korean Cultural Center New York (KCCNY) on Wednesday, bringing together the wisdom and experiences of people from around the world, celebrating Hangeul — the Korean alphabet.

The public art piece by Kang Ik-joong is adorned with approximately 20,000 tiles inscribed with Hangeul, covering the wall of the new KCCNY building, which opened earlier this year near Manhattan's Koreatown.

The text on the tiles was selected from submissions by over 7,000 people from 50 countries during May and June.

"I am delighted to have built the Hangeul Wall, a bridge of peace and freedom that (connects) people around the world, right here in the heart of New York," artist Kang said during the opening ceremony. "I hope that the many visitors to the KCCNY will experience the beauty of Hangeul by creating and sharing their own digital art through a kiosk here."

According to the KCCNY, an analysis of the 20,000 Korean characters used in the installation revealed themes such as gratitude, love, happiness, relationships, courage, dreams and peace.

"The Hangeul Wall reflects how people across the globe have expressed universal human values," KCCNY executive director Kim Cheon-soo said.

Kim also emphasized the importance of Hangeul in the global spread of Korean culture.

"I believe Hangeul embodies the core values of K-culture," he said. "Through the Hangeul Wall, we hope to further expand hallyu, or the Korean wave, and promote the universal values of freedom and equality that Hangeul represents."

The text on Kang Ik-joong's "Hangeul Wall" at Korean Cultural Center New York was selected from submissions by over 7,000 people from 50 countries in May and June. Courtesy of KCCNY

Alongside the Hangeul Wall, a retrospective of Kang titled "We Are Connected" is on view at the KCCNY's gallery space through Nov. 7, offering a rare opportunity for the public to experience some of Kang's most significant works, many of which have not been publicly accessible for years.

The exhibition includes "Throw Everything Together and Add" (1984-1996), a collection of 6,000 early 3-inch artworks, which is on public display for the first time in nearly 30 years after being acquired by the Whitney Museum of American Art. Another highlight is "1,392 Moon Jars" (2008–2010), an iconic installation of 1,392 traditional Korean moon jars, on loan from the Guggenheim Museum's collection.

Internationally recognized for his large-scale public art projects using 3-by-3 inch canvases, Kang's notable works include "Amazed World" (2001) at the United Nations and "Floating Dreams" (2016) on the River Thames in London. In 2023, "Things I Know" debuted in Madrid as part of his ongoing "Hangeul Project," featuring over 6,000 hand-drawn Korean characters created by Spanish students, symbolizing peace and harmony.

Later this month, Kang will unveil his "Four Temples" installation in front of the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt as part of "Forever Is Now," featuring four structures in Arabic, English, Hieroglyph and Korean, each displaying translations of the Korean folk song "Arirang."