The future of Korea's culture industry is convergence

A ceramic and stainless steel kettle and cup set by Kang Woong-ki on display at the Arumjigi Culture Keepers Foundation headquarters in Seoul. [ARUMJIGI]

Such convergence projects, when taken abroad, have received enthusiastic responses, with a prime example being the Korea Pavilion at this year's Milan Expo. The six-month long expo, which kicked off in May, is approaching its end, but the hype at the Korea Pavilion is said to still be at its peak. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said it surpassed two million visitors as of Oct 7 and expects to see more than 2.3 million by the Oct 31 finale.

The pavilion is supposed to promote Korean food culture, but the government took the opportunity to show off Korean crafts, as well as music and media art. An average of 18,000 visitors per day were especially drawn to the media installation involving images of traditional Korean foods projected onto 365 earthenware pots, or onggi, to the beat of a K-pop song.

Another example of cultural convergence was the recent exhibition put together by K-pop singer G-Dragon and various fine artists, titled "PEACEMINUSONE: Beyond the Stage". Contemporary artists from Korea and abroad created works inspired by the music icon and exhibited them along with art collected by G-Dragon at the Seoul Museum of Art.

The exhibition, which ran from June to August, was "an attempt to create a higher point of contact for high culture with the public and draw attention to contemporary art," said the curator, Shin Eun-jin. YG Entertainment, G-Dragon's agency, is planning to take the exhibition to foreign cities such as Shanghai and Singapore in the near future.