TWO PENSIVE BODHISATTVA STATUES IN ONE PLACE: ‘THE ROOM OF QUIET CONTEMPLATION’
The Room of Quiet Contemplation has taken its place on the second floor of the National Museum of Korea. In the room, there are two , and ONE O ONE Architects (principal, Choi Wook) were charged with its design. It is the first time the National Museum of Korea has collaborated with an architect to create a gallery. The architect Choi Wook said that he intended to express a feeling of union, bonded to the energy of the statues and the space. The long approach to the entrance is a transitional space that is calming and acclimatises visitors to the relative darkness. Countless round vertical materials installed on the ceiling add a sense of depth to the space. When you turn at the entrance, you can see National Treasure No.78 and No.85, and appreciate the fullness of their appearance along the oval-shaped exhibition stand. An intuitive and immersive experience was desirable, to create the possibility of appreciation without relying on explanations and captions. Planning an approach through the darkness, the slightly slanted floor and walls, and the ceiling with shimmering lights allows one to focus with clarity and concentration on the Pensive Bodhisattva Statues, in an abstract and quiet atmosphere that seems to exist in a different dimension from that of the present. The exhibition is open all year round to the public.
