Busan is good

Busan Museum to Open Special Exchange Exhibition “The Gardens of Joseon: Cultivating the Mind, Appreciating the Landscape”

내용

Busan Museum announced that it will host the 2026 Special Exchange Exhibition, “The Gardens of Joseon: Cultivating the Mind, Appreciating the Landscape,” for 62 days from tomorrow (October 13) through December 13 at the museum’s Special Exhibition Hall.

The exhibition explores the garden culture of Joseon-era scholars, who sought to live in harmony with nature rather than impose their will upon it. Visitors will discover the landscaping philosophy and horticultural traditions of these scholars, who incorporated views of mountains and rivers beyond their garden walls into their own gardens and observed plants growing in their courtyards to identify virtues and qualities worthy of emulation.

Approximately 80 artifacts embodying the essence of Joseon-era garden culture will be exhibited, including a Blue-and-White Porcelain Jar with Landscape, Flowers and Birds Design (National Treasure), Gathering of Scholars at Dokseodang (Treasure), King Jeongjo’s Paintings of Banana Plant and Chrysanthemums (Treasures), and Yanghwa Sorok (A Short Treatise on Cultivating Flowers).

The exhibition is divided into three sections, offering diverse perspectives on the philosophical depth of Joseon-era gardens and the refined pleasures they brought to everyday life.

Section 1, “Cultivating the Mind,” explores the ideals that scholars sought to embody in their gardens through the idealized gardens described in stories of ancient sages and the concept of uiwon, an imaginary garden cultivated in the mind beyond the constraints of reality.

Section 2, “Embracing Nature,” examines the aesthetics of chagyeong, or borrowed scenery, a landscaping technique that incorporates surrounding mountains and forests into the garden. It also highlights the horticultural traditions of scholars who observed plants such as pine trees, chrysanthemums, and plum blossoms in their gardens, identified virtues that people could emulate, and connected these observations to their own moral cultivation.

Section 3, “Appreciating the Landscape,” portrays the lives of literary scholars who gathered with friends in gardens for social gatherings, including gyehoe, to share poetry, calligraphy, painting, and artistic interests. It also illustrates how they enjoyed simple everyday pleasures and companionship through activities such as baduk (Go) and tuho (arrow tossing) in rear gardens.

The exhibition will also feature a variety of attractions, including an installation depicting bangjiwondo, a traditional garden design featuring a circular island in a square pond; an immersive video titled “A Day at a Country Villa”; Yunhoemae, an artwork featuring plum blossoms crafted from beeswax by Hwang Su-ro, a master artisan of royal court floral arrangements; and a lotus-themed photo zone.

Admission is free, and the exhibition will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., except on Mondays, when the museum is closed.

Jung Eun-woo, Director of Busan Museum, said, “Gardens of the Joseon Dynasty were spaces where nature, art, and human life came together in harmony. I hope this exhibition will offer citizens an opportunity to pause, reflect, and take a moment to breathe amid their busy daily lives.”