A major exhibition on Korea opens in the Princessehof on 16 October. Topics such as food culture, beauty standards and rituals will be highlighted using ceramic masterpieces from the National Museum of Korea in Seoul, which will be exhibited in the Netherlands for the first time. This blog series gives you a look behind the scenes. Each month we will introduce someone who is involved in making the exhibition a reality. This time: Eline van den Berg, curator of Asian ceramics at the Princessehof.
Photo: Marleen Annema
"I always knew I wanted to work in a museum. It's fun to do research and to see how I can enthuse people about a certain subject. All kinds of people use all kinds of ceramic objects very frequently, and by showing this, we can tell the stories of the different cultures. I’ve been a curator at the museum since 2015. I manage the collection of Asian ceramics, about 10,000 objects, plus I’m involved in exhibitions. I conduct research for exhibitions and develop ideas."
Korean history
"I visited Korea myself a few years ago. During my trip I found out that Korean ceramics embody many unique elements. That's what we want to focus on at the Princessehof now: Korean ceramics have a rich history, but not many people are familiar with Korea's past. We want to show that rich history. We’ve entered into a collaboration with the National Museum of Korea in Seoul. I explained that we would like to explore the history of Korea through ceramics. They helped us with the composition of the exhibition. In addition, we’ve set up a sounding board group of experts on Korea and people who came to the Netherlands from there. This group will also advise on the design of the exhibition. It’s very motivating when they confirm that we’re doing the right thing. This is the first time we’ve done this, but it immediately bears fruit."
Contemporary artists from Korea
"I’m really looking forward to the objects coming to the Netherlands and seeing them up close. The details in Korean ceramics are very playful and creative. You can already see this in photos, but you only truly discover it when you see them in real life. I also really like the fact that we combine the historical ceramics with objects by contemporary artists from South Korea. It’s nice to show how they integrate the traditions from their past into their work."
Korea exhibition
"The exhibition explores this rich culture and the Koreans’ unique approach to art. The difference from China or Japan is easy to see. Ceramics from those countries are often very precisely manufactured, down to the finest details. In Korean ceramics you can really see the hand of the maker. It's all just a little bit looser."
"The exhibition begins with a chronological overview of the various periods in Korea’s history, from the beginning of the Christian era until the present day. In the first room, we also explain the country’s connection to the Netherlands and focus on Hendrick Hamel, a 17th-century castaway who ended up in Korea. He wasn’t allowed to leave the country, but eventually managed to escape. He wrote a report detailing his observations of the country. After this we go deeper into the various themes: elite culture, beauty, food culture and ceremonies. Why should people visit the exhibition? I have a simple answer to that. You really need to see the ceramics from Korea. That way you get to know Korean culture really well. The more you see of an object, the more you want to know about it. In that way, the exhibition becomes a kind of journey of discovery through Korean culture."
