Paper, the fruit of light and wind, is light and fragile yet incredibly versatile and robust enough to last a millennium. Our ancestors, who embraced the properties of Korean paper, created all manner of paper-based household items that are both practical and uniquely aesthetic. Indeed, the exhibits of the participating contemporary artists, who work with a wide range of traditional techniques, including jiseung (paper weaving), jiho (paper casting), and jijang (covering wooden frames with paper), reaffirm that creative DNA is part and parcel of Korea’s cultural legacy that has been passed down through many generations.
The “Spring Day” in the title evokes two separate interpretations: that the exhibition is akin to a special outing for the paper artifacts normally housed in the museum’s non-public storage; and that when the sustainability of tradition is achieved through encounters with contemporary artists and their works, such interaction constitutes a ”spring day for paper craft.” The practical aesthetics of everyday objects that have been passed down for centuries, coupled with the expansion of the craft’s horizons that transcend the present into the future, encourages the “connection of materials, information, and inspiration” that we, as an open storage museum, seek to attain.
We hope that this exhibition will provide visitors with a rare opportunity to recognize the value of Korean culture by highlighting the innate beauty of the museum’s paper craft collection.