Korean pop culture splash lands at the Asian Art Museum this fall.
"Moon Jar Dress, Blue," by Minju Kim. Seoul, 2021, is part of Hallyu! The Korean Wave.
If the brilliant overall vibe of Korean pop culture doesn’t lure you in, the beat will. K-pop music is all that and more. With annual revenues surpassing $10 billion, over 41 billion streams on Spotify, and sold-out concerts drawing millions globally (including 2.5 million tickets in the U.S. in 2023), K-pop has cemented its position as a powerhouse in the music industry.
The pop group Aespa
But the new exhibit Hallyu! The Korean Wave at the Asian Art Museum celebrates more than tunes. It showcases a groundbreaking global pop culture phenomenon, tracing its influence across cinema, drama, music, fashion, beauty and the embrace of fandoms—both online and offline, from Gen Z to go-go.
“We aim to immerse audiences in the diversity of Korean pop culture and demonstrate how Hallyu is a distinctly contemporary phenomenon, mediated via digital technologies and social platforms and connecting with timely concerns we all face: from what to watch on a Saturday night to our desire for transcendent moments of communal joy,” says Yoon-Jee Choi, the museum’s assistant curator of Korean Art.
The exhibit also showcases ageless Korean design like saekdong by sustainable brand Darcygom.
First introduced in the late 1990s through exported dramatic TV series, Hallyu (literally “Korean Wave” in Chinese) swept across Asia. At the Asian Art Museum, Hallyu! features nearly 200 objects and artworks that explore the diverse facets of this cultural phenomenon, enhanced by dynamic digital displays and interactive experiences.
“With contemporary Korean culture as the lens, this exhibition poses critical questions: How do we find connection and community with the wider world around us? How do music, art, adornment and creativity fuse into a real social movement? In times of discord, these are issues with real significance to all of us,” says Jay Xu, the museum’s Barbara Bass Baker director and CEO. Through Jan. 6, 2025, 200 Larkin St., 415.581.3500, asianart.org
Photography by: SANGMI AN; COURTESY OF SM ENTERTAINMENT; JIHOON JUNG/COURTESY DARCYGOM
