K-Content News

Immersive artwork recreates elaborate Joseon-era royal banquet held in 1902

By Park Ji-won

How did people in the royal palace of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) celebrate key events, such as a crown prince's rise to power or the birthday of a reigning king?

Depending on the events, kings threw small or large banquets that entailed choreography, musical performances and other rituals to guarantee prosperity and longevity. Banquets were also designed to flaunt the power and prosperity of the kingdom.

The "jinyeon" or royal banquet, became a large-scale event in the later Joseon period, compared to ones that were held earlier, which were smaller. Historic materials such as the "Imin Jinyeondobyeong," a set of standing paintings showing the different performance sequences of the jinyeon, as well as the rituals of the "Daeakhubo," a set of scores written during the Joseon era, still exist, enabling people today to get a sense of how the royal court threw luxurious feasts to celebrate certain key events.

According to documents, Emperor Gojong (1863-1907), the 26th king of the Joseon Dynasty, threw a luxurious feast in 1902 to mark the 40th anniversary of his reign and to celebrate his entry into "Giroso," a society of senior officials of the royal court who offered advice on state affairs.

The National Gugak Center (NGC) recreated the event through a work of immersive art titled, "Royal Banquet (Jinyeon): Connecting the Times of 120 Years." The artwork was created to mark the 70th anniversary of the opening of the state-run art organization.

"We created the immersive artwork to mark the 70th anniversary of the NGC. It aims to create a special online space by making the most of the instruments and sound equipment at the center so that we can recreate gugak, or traditional music, as a contemporary art form that can resonate with audiences and share knowledge of traditional intangible heritage," an NGC official said.

The 12-minute digital presentation, which was released on Sept. 28 and runs through Feb. 27 of next year, helps people experience the royal banquet that was originally held at Hamnyeongjeon Hall of Deoksu Palace in 1902, through two-dimensional and three-dimensional videos on three screens. Dancers and performers reviving 12 traditional choreographed dances, musical performances and rituals are showcased in the digital installation. The "seonyurak," one of the most luxurious and largest court dances, accompanied by a boat and traditional military music, is one of the highlights of the performances.

By projecting delicately designed beams and moving lights on the traditional instruments, which are featured after a video presentation of the performances, while streaming the sound of the instruments, the exhibition helps the audience see the instruments. It sheds new light on these instruments, which have been placed in the center for centuries, to connect the past with the present.

The music was recreated, while the graphics were designed using traditional symbols and materials from the center's archives. To design the space, a high-resolution projector and surround-sound system were used.

To experience the artwork, audiences need to make a prior reservation.

The NGC hosts eight viewing sessions per day, excluding Mondays. For more information, visit the center's website.