BTS and Blackpink need no introduction to millions of K-pop fans, but a fuller, fashion-infused examination of the high-flying Korean cultural wave is now taking place at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
On display until July 28: “Hallyu! The Korean Wave” is the first American part of an exhibition that debuted a few years ago at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum. Pronounced ‘Hally-u’, the word means ‘Korean Wave’, a term first used in 1992 when South Korea established diplomatic relations with China. The ‘Korean Wave’ is a cultural phenomenon initially driven by Korean dramas and accelerated by the global popularity of K-pop.
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Fashion plays a prominent role in the 250-person exhibition, as do music, TV, film and the beauty industry.
“In a way, the American public needs to be exposed to the fashion vibe, but fashion as an art form. But at the same time, if you look at other media like drama, TV and K-pop, fashion is a big part of it. There’s no denying that, especially with K-pop groups with all their performances and music videos. The dresses and what they wear are so important, they elevate their identity and the items themselves,” said Christina Yu Yu, Matsutaro Shoriki Chair of the MFA, art of Asia. “Fashion in itself is a mass-recognizable art form.”
While BTS wears luxury labels like Dior and Blackpink’s Jennie fronts Chanel while Lisa is an ambassador for Celine, the new exhibition highlights some lesser-known labels. K-pop fans will recognize a key piece at concerts – light sticks designed to reflect the identities of different groups – and original outfits worn by Aespa and Ateez for their music videos ‘Next Level’ and ‘Fireworks’. There are also dresses worn by generations of K-pop idols, including those by designer Park Sohee and ‘Next in Fashion’ winner Minju Kim, and a large-scale needlework designed by South Korean artist Kyungah Ham and made by anonymous embroiderers . from North Korea.
Other pieces explore the Korean American experience by Boston-based artist Timothy Hyunsoo Lee and Washington, DC-based artist Julia Kwon. A more personal view is detailed in a video featuring the Philadelphia-based Korean-American mother-daughter team of Jeoung and Jessica Kim.
“It’s really a show about cultural power, but it’s also about how we’re all connected today. Some people think it’s just about youth culture, but it’s more than that, especially when you think about cinema, ‘Parasite’ and ‘Oldboy’ and all the Korean TV drama series on Netflix. [including ‘Squid Game],” she said.
PSY’s breakout music video ‘Gangnam Style’ was also a boom for the movement. Such attractions not only introduce people to Korean and Asian culture, but often also have a universal message, Yu Yu said.
Yu Yu said: “When you think of ‘hallyu’, the image that comes to mind for most people is something very edgy, contemporary and youth culture-driven. The show has a modern look and a faster paced feel. But in the fashion section, a number of people have commented on the way the pieces are made. It is a quieter part of the exhibition, partly because it is designed that way.”
Another reason is that the area highlights the transformation of the hanbok form and how it was a traditional Korean national dress, while today fashion designers are transforming this traditional form into something more radical. Fashion is one of the areas in “Hallyu!” that enhances the coexistence of old and new, with the fashion on display being the manifestation of this. Yu Yu said, “It’s actually about something that can easily complement something else, and how to make the old-fashioned recognizable, or even fashionable and exciting.”
Nearly 5,000 people showed up for one of the kickoff events for “Hallyu!”, which featured K-pop performances hosted by CJ ENM, Yu Yu said. A Korean film festival and a conversation with award-winning author Min Jin Lee are among the upcoming programs before the exhibition moves to the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco.
To tie in with the blooming effect of hallyu and how everything happens at once, the MFA incorporated that into the design layout of the exhibition, which is set up so that the visitor chooses which part of the exhibition to explore first – rather than a linear experience. Another point of differentiation from the V&A show: the Boston show draws on the museum’s important collection of Korean art, including a traditional hanbok dress.
While the MFA has an ongoing alliance with Uniqlo (offering UT Graphic T-shirts inspired by Katsushika Hokusai’s iconic “ukiyo-e” woodblock prints, in addition to the work of other artists), it enlisted a Boston-based streetwear company, Endstate, to create hoodies, T-shirts and other apparel inspired by six Korean objects from the MFA collection. Endstate’s designs include products with NFC chip: a pair of sneakers, two T-shirts and two sweatshirts. The Near Field Communication technology offers consumers perks such as VIP and early access to MFA Late Nites with a “Hallyu!” theme.
Shoppers at the MFA museum store will also find hallyu-inspired designs from a few other Korean-American brands, as well as whimsical items like a $48 Matcha Boba Milk Tea-shaped handbag. According to Yu Yu, choosing community-oriented resources that giving shoppers a sense of discovery. “Additionally, the names of many of the designers featured in the show are likely not widely known and unknown to the American public. This is a great introduction to the American public.”
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