▲ This poster, provided by the Cultural Heritage Promotion Agency, together with the Nexon Foundation, promotes the upcoming exhibition, "The Wizard of Time: Toward Another World," to be held at the Deokhongjeon Hall of Deoksugung Palace in Seoul, starting Nov. 19. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

SEOUL, Nov. 11 (Yonhap) -- Nexon's hit games "The Kingdom of the Winds," "MapleStory" and "Mabinogi" will be reinterpreted as traditional craft artworks in a royal palace, state-run agency said on Monday. 

 

The Cultural Heritage Promotion Agency, together with the Nexon Foundation, announced that they will host an exhibition, titled "The Wizard of Time: Toward Another World," at the Deokhongjeon Hall of Deoksugung Palace in Seoul, starting Nov. 19. 

 

This exhibition is part of the Nexon Foundation's Borderless Project, an initiative aimed at blending cultural arts with gaming. This year, the project collaborated with national intangible heritage artisans to create traditional crafts inspired by Nexon's intellectual properties (IPs). 

 

▲ This image, provided by the Cultural Heritage Promotion Agency, shows artist Kim Seok-young's "Welcome Light." The work will be displayed at the upcoming exhibition, "The Wizard of Time: Toward Another World," to be held at the Deokhongjeon Hall of Deoksugung Palace in Seoul, starting Nov. 19. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

Participating artisans include Kim Dong-sik, a master of traditional fan-making (Seonjajang), Kim Hee-soo, a master of traditional compass-making (Yundojang), and Jo Dae-yong, a master of bamboo weaving (Yeomjang).

 

In addition to these artisans, five contemporary craft artists, including Jung Da-hye, the first Korean winner of the Loewe Craft Prize (2022), will also display works inspired by these games. Other contributing artists are Kwon Jung-mo, Kim Seok-young, Kim Young-eun, and Chun Woo-sun.

 

The exhibition is curated by Jo Hye-young, director of the Korea Association of Formative Design, who has organized previous international exhibitions, such as the Tongyeong International Triennale (2022) and a special exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in the UK (2017-2018).

 

During the exhibition period, the Sarang cultural gift shop in Deoksugung Palace will offer limited-edition cultural products, including a fan-inspired traditional compass (Seonchu Yundo), featuring these game IPs. A representative from the Cultural Heritage Promotion Agency expressed hopes that this fusion of traditional crafts with popular games would pave the way for an innovative future in Korean crafts.

 

▲ This image, provided by the Cultural Heritage Promotion Agency, shows yundo Compasses engraved with Celtic and Goguryeo Mythology, collaborated by yundo artisan Kim Hee-soo and knot artisan Kim Si-jae.These artworks will be displayed at the upcoming exhibition, "The Wizard of Time: Toward Another World," to be held at the Deokhongjeon Hall of Deoksugung Palace in Seoul, starting Nov. 19. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

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