We’ve got some great news for your heart and Seoul. And no, that’s not a typo. From K-Drama, to K-Pop, to K-Films, everything South Korean is making an appearance at Korea: Cubically Imagined, a free immersive exhibition of Korean content taking place at Mall of the Emirates’ Art Centre until December 3.
Korea: Cubically Imagined is the brainchild of the Korea Creative Content Agency and the Korean Cultural Center in the UAE. This all-encompassing exhibition uses technology to let you step right inside Korean culture and society using VR screenings that bring to life exhibits from the prestigious National Palace Museum of Korea and other popular Hallyu (Korean culture) content such as a BTS concert. And get this, it’s free entry!
Here’s what you can expect:
1. BTS 3D Concert
After the much hyped BTS pop-up that landed in Dubai this year, the city’s going to be mesmerised by a concert! BTS Army should make a beeline for this exhibition whose showstopper is a virtual performance by the Grammy-nominated K-pop boy band. Here’s how: key scenes from the band’s performance in Las Vegas will be recreated through three-sided LED screens, stereoscopic sound and lighting. These realistic special effects will make you feel like you’re bang in the centre of the arena at BTS’s PERMISSION TO DANCE ON STAGE tour that rocked Vegas in April 2022.
2. Step inside Parasite film set
Not one to swoon over boy bands? Fret not. This exhibition will have you covered with a virtual reality experience that will throw you into the iconic house from Oscar-winning film Parasite. State-of-the-art tech will recreate scenes from the mind-bending thriller, so spectators will feel like they’re in the living room and basement of the house that was central to the film’s plot.
3. Enter a field of Peonies – the royal Korean flower
Visually stunning multimedia exhibits such as Peonies will allow you to understand and connect with the importance of the flowers in Korean culture and history. Before they became popular wedding flowers, these sweet-smelling blooms were used to decorate royal objects during the Joseon Dynasty and symbolise power and authority. You’ll see items such as the Morando Byeongpoong (Peonies folding screen) which was integral to auspicious events and funeral rituals in ancient Korea as well as bridal robes hung at the centre of the exhibit.
4. Visit Seoul virtually
To experience the hustle and bustle of Seoul’s energy, check out the Dynamic Seoul installation. The exhibit will let audiences experience everyday life in South Korea’s capital in a creative and unique way.
5. Find your Zen at a digital beach
At Beach-Aurora, you’ll find yourself standing in a surreal digital beach that stretches infinitely through mirrors and feels real thanks to high-tech sounds and visual effects. Here, the magical flashes of Northern Lights (Auroras) merge with the waves of the ocean to create a hypnotic and relaxing space.
6. Be hypnotised by a waterfall of sand
A 9-metre high waterfall of sand will pour to the floor at the Waterfall-Sand installation. It’s a multimedia creation you won’t actually get any dust or dirt in your eyes or on your clothes and shoes.
7. Climb Mt. Geumgang without leaving Dubai
Another captivating exhibit to watch out for is Climbing Mt. Geumgang. Instead of hopping on a plane to Korea, you can virtually scale the peaks of this scenic destination that is part of many famous Korean landscape paintings created during the late Joseon Period (17th – 19th century). The digital sightseeing tour will take you through what the breathtaking location looks like in all four seasons.
And those are just 7 of the 20 different immersive installations at Korea: Cubically Imagined that will let you soak up Korean culture and art that you’ve seen and loved in K-dramas. This time instead of witnessing it from behind a laptop or TV screen, you can let the lights and colours wash all over you!