Meet Mickey and friends in hanbok at Deoksugung

Disney's famous character Mickey Mouse is joining forces with Korean cultural heritage. The Royal Palaces and Tombs Center of the Cultural Heritage Administration, in collaboration with The Walt Disney Company Korea, announced on Monday that it will present the exhibition Mickey in the Palace: Art, Beyond Boundaries at Deoksugung Palace's Dondeokjeon Hall starting on Saturday. Nine artists will create works depicting Disney characters Mickey and friends visiting Deoksugung Palace's Dondeokjeon Hall and blending with the royal heritage.

Illustrator Wooh Na-young (a.k.a. Obsidian, Heuk Yo Seok) depicts Mickey and friends traveling through Korea and experiencing various national heritage sites, including Deoksugung Palace, in a six-panel folding screen. Inspired by Sipjangsaengdo, a court painting symbolizing longevity, the piece features Mickey and Minnie in traditional wedding attire, along with Donald Duck in hanbok, the traditional Korean costume.

Artist Kim Se-dong created prints depicting Disney characters enjoying themselves in front of the palace. Buwon crafted a ceramic representation of a Disney character standing on a lotus flower. Contemporary artists Jang Seung-jin and Ahn Yu-jin, a holder of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage of dancheong, present a collaborative work based on Mickey's hand. Sculptor Kang Jae-won's balloon sculpture, portraying Disney characters walking on a bird in the palace pond, will be installed in the Deoksugung Palace pond.

The exhibition will have photo zones across Deoksugung Palace where visitors can take pictures with Disney characters. The Cultural Heritage Administration said a music video featuring AKMU's Lee Su-hyun reinterpreting Disney theme songs against the backdrop of Seokjojeon Hall will be released on its YouTube channel. The exhibition runs until October 20.


Sang-Un Kim sukim@donga.com