The Asian Art Museum is hosting K-pop, K-drama, K-cinema, K-fashion, and K-beauty, only 0.3 miles from NEMA San Francisco. Step into the spectacular world of Korean dramas, music, film, TV, fashion, and beauty — from Netflix hits like “Squid Game” and the Academy Award-winning “Parasite” to chart-topping K-pop idols and influential designers — and discover how South Korea reinvented itself as a 21st-century pop culture phenomenon. Created by the V&A and touring the world, Hallyu! The Korean Wave includes nearly 200 objects and artworks that illustrate the limitless flow of creativity powering the world’s biggest, fastest-growing contemporary cultural wave from Asia.
The show originated at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London in 2022 and traveled to Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts last year before landing in San Francisco, where it remains until January 6, 2025.
“By bringing movie sets and interactive experiences into the museum, we invite audiences to jump into the shoes of K-drama and K-pop stars—and their extremely creative fans,” says Yoon-Jee Choi, assistant curator of Korean Art. “Audiences will come away with a renewed appreciation for the artistry underlying their favorite exports, as well as an understanding of the specific cultural circumstances that have catalyzed this social movement over the last 30 years,” reports 7x7.
Shop until you drop. The curators at Asian Art Museum created a dedicated room to fashion and beauty. The dedicated beauty bar is stuffed with makeup, nail polish, and skincare from Korean brands including Beauty of Joseon, Rom&nd, Cosrx, Tonymoly, Etude, Round Lab, Dr. Jart+, Peripera, Tirtir, and Skinesque. Also featured: cosmetics from SF’s own Christina Choi, a Korean-American makeup artist and entrepreneur.
"'Hallyu! The Korean Wave' is a fantastic ride." — 7x7
Journey to Future Seoul: Essential K-pop Listening. Tune into the heart of Hallyu with a playlist of K-pop favorites, created in partnership with fans at SarangHello, the Bay Area’s original K-pop store.
Organizers & Sponsors:
Hallyu! The Korean Wave is organized by the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. Presentation is made possible with the generous support of the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, CJ ENM, Google.org, John S. Osterweis, and Salle E. Yoo and Jeffrey P. Gray. Additional support is provided by the National Museum of Korea, ParksKitchen, the San Francisco Chronicle, and Heayoon Woo and David Lee.
Sustained support generously provided by the Akiko Yamazaki and Jerry Yang Endowment Fund for Exhibitions. Created by the V&A – touring the world.
The Asian Art Museum is the world’s leading museum dedicated to connecting global audiences with Asian and Asian American art and culture. Experience the rich diversity of the 48 countries of the Asian continent and the worldwide Asian diaspora through our collection of more than 20,000 artworks. From major archaeological discoveries to innovative work by contemporary artists, the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco celebrates the important contributions of Asian and Asian American artists to art’s history — and to its future.
Photo Credit: Asian Art Museum
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