KOREA FOUNDATION

Tea Time & Coffee Break: ACH Exhibition

The ASEAN Culture House (ACH), operated by the KF, is currently holding an exhibition conveying messages of healing and relaxation to help viewers cope with the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.

Regardless of time or place, people around the world enjoy relaxing over a cup of tea or coffee. “Tea time,” a custom which originated in the UK in the mid-19th century, was first observed by the wealthy upper class but later spread across social strata, eventually granting an afternoon break even to or soldiers on the battlefield. In Korea and member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN), the time-honored tradition of serving tea to guests remains to this day.

The ACH exhibition Tea Time & Coffee Break highlights the cultural aspects of tea and coffee that usually signify a break from a busy routine and a gesture of warm welcome. Centered on the three keywords of “coffee,” “tea,” and “break,” the exhibition presents the works of contemporary Korean artists like Beak Jungki, Lee Changwon, and Park Hwa Young and designs exhibited in five parts from the graphic design studio Gowaseo and space design team Mujindongsa.

The exhibition begins with Beak’s Is-of series of chlorophyll prints of natural scenery and Lee’s paintings, drawings, and sculptures utilizing coffee powder and tea leaves. The climax comes in Park’s four-channel video work Coffee Break, which the artist interprets as a time of awakening or “breaking from sleep.” Wrapping things up are Gowaseo’s designs of the historical and cultural peculiarities of ASEAN coffees and a relaxation space by Mujindongsa based on Peranakan cafés in Singapore.

The exhibition showcases spectacular contemporary artworks focused on the material characteristics of coffee and tea and offers the chance to directly and indirectly understand these ASEAN beverages. So please take a break at the ACH Special Exhibition Hall by experiencing the rich and varied fragrances of ASEAN’s splendid teas and coffees.

Venue: ACH Special Exhibition Hall
Period: March 11–June 19
Inquiries: Performing Arts and Exhibition Dept. / 051-775-2024 / hiyoo@kf.or.kr

Tea Time & Coffee BreakBeak JungkiLee ChangwonPark Hwa YoungGowaseoMujindongsaASEAN Culture House