[Exhibit Renewal]
Re-Opening of the Buddhist Sculpture Gallery

The National Museum of Korea (Director Kim Youngna) opens a newly renovated exhibition space for large Buddhist statues on the third floor of the Permanent Exhibition Hall on January 22 (Tue). The renovation followed those conducted last October to improve the exhibition environment for the Pensive Bodhisattva and Silla Gold Crown, and took place as part of the effort to provide an improved exhibition space for the viewers to better focus on the exhibits.

The main focus of this exhibition space renovation project is placed on improving the exhibition environment by blocking the natural light coming through windows that disturbs viewers' appreciation of the exhibits. The renovation work involved enclosing the entire exhibition area with blackout curtains and steel screens to cut the natural light and instead, installed an artificial lighting system. The floor, walls, and the ceiling of the exhibition room are covered with the same color tone so that the viewers' attention was naturally guided to the Buddhist statues displayed in it. The lighting system is consisted of LED bulbs in a three dimensional arrangement, designed to highlight some of the greatest masterpieces representing Korean Buddhist sculpture such as the Maitreya bodhisattva and Amitabha Buddha of Gamsansa Temple and the Iron Buddha from Hasachangdong Hanam, Gyeonggi-do.

The completion of the latest renovation work for the Buddhist Sculpture room marks the finale of the program carried out for the renovation of the National Museum of Korea that took over a year under the support from the Friends of National Museum of Korea. The Museum will continue its effort to provide visitors with a better, more pleasant exhibition environment through carefully designed renovation and reorganization programs for its facilities and services.