KOREA: Silla to K-Pop

SPARK: A New Conversation SeriesDenise Leidy, curator in the Department of Asian Art, MMASoyoung Lee, curator in the Department of Asian Art, MMAYoung Jean Lee, playwright

With hit songs like Gangnam Style and controversial visitors such as Dennis Rodman, the art and politics of the Korean Peninsula have recently been capturing the world’s attention. Korea’s influence, however, began more than a thousand years ago with an ancient kingdom’s political intrigue and talented craftsmen. The Met’s golden treasures from the royal tombs of Silla offer tantalizing glimpses of court life and evidence of the cross-fertilization of cultures between Korea and its neighbors.

Met curators Denise Leidy and Soyoung Lee investigate how ancient national treasures show up in modern TV series, such as Queen Seondeok of Silla, currently a huge hit in Asia. Playwright Young Jean Lee explores the life and work of her grandfather, a renowned Korean folklorist who was kidnapped when Young Jean’s mother was a small child, and never seen again.

The Spark series explores vital ideas and issues through the lens of the Met’s collections. Each cabaret-style program gathers artists, thought leaders, and performers from theater, film, politics, literature, science, and pop culture to engage in wide-ranging, fresh conversations and performances. Spark is hosted by Julie Burstein, author and Peabody Award–winning creator of public radio’s Studio 360.

This program is in conjunction with the exhibition Silla: Korea’s Golden Kingdom, on view through February 23, 2014. The exhibition is organized by Soyoung Lee, Associate Curator, and Denise Leidy, Curator, both of the Department of Asian Art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, in collaboration with colleagues at The National Museum of Korea and Gyeongju National Museum, Korea.

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Above: Crown, second half of 5th century. Korea; Silla Kingdom (57 B.C.–A.D. 935). Gold and jade; H. 10 ¾ in. (27.3 cm). Gyeongju National Museum, National Treasure 191