BTS, the Korean boy band, had a busy Monday. The Korean boy band, newly appointed by South Korean President Moon Jae-in as “special presidential envoy for future generations and culture,” appeared with the leader at the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York this morning and spoke about the power of today’s younger generations to create a more positive and healthier world. They also accompanied the country’s First Lady Kim Jung-sook, a classically trained singer, and cultural minister Hwang Hee to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the evening to deliver a gift of lacquerware vessels by Chung Haecho from the South Korean government.
“The world’s eyes are on Korean culture—Korean dramas, Korean film, Korean music—but there are still many great Korean artists who have yet to be discovered by the world,” said BTS leader Kim Nam-joon at a bilingual reception on the Met’s rooftop garden, beneath Alex da Corte’s swinging Big Bird sculpture, which he described as “very fond of.” BTS has “a unique feeling of pride” in being able to support the work of other Korean musicians in their new special ambassador role, according to Kim, and is charged with the task of “trying to disseminate Korean culture around the world and to everyone around the world.”
The Met’s first exhibition dedicated to the art form, Shell and Resin: Korean Mother-of-Pearl and Lacquer, will feature Rhythm of the Five Color Luster (2013), a gift of five vividly coloured containers based on the cardinal directions and five components of East Asian cosmology (13 December-5 July 2022). Around 30 works from the museum’s collection will be on display, ranging from an extremely rare 12th century trefoil box from the Goryeo dynasty (918-1392) to a mixed media artwork by modern artist Lee Bul.
