A media art exhibition called”Imagine the Abyss” is being held at the International Maritime Museum in Yeongdo, Busan. The special exhibition [Imagine the Abyss] was planned with
two questions in mind : “Why have human beings, who can not breath under the sea, begin diving, and what is the meaning of the undersea world for human beings?”
At the entrance, you can see the sentence, “Enter the unknown world where fear and curiosity coexist.The quiet, dark atmosphere of the exhibition hall makes you feel like you are diving into the deep, blue sea.
The exhibition begins with the theme; [Humanity, begin Diving]. It is still unknown when the first human attempt to explore the ocean began. However, we were able to form an idea about humanity’s past efforts to reach the depths of the ocean and understand the adventurous spirit that prompted humanity to explore deeper and further into the sea. In addition, photographs and models show the changes of underwater technology over time. The evidence hints at the possibility of an underwater city being built in the future. The exhibition hall is equipped with 27-meter wide and 4-meter long, large screens that show vivid, realistic, and alternating videos of the deep ocean that will make you feel overwhelmed and are guaranteed to give the illusion of diving into those depths.
Personally, the most memorable exhibit was the theme of “Nautilus 21, take us to the new
world”. It introduced the concept of virtual reality to embody the space of a new undersea world,inspired by the novel, “Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea”. The Korea National Maritime Museum is presenting the new undersea world, which humanity is dreaming of, portraying it in virtual reality utilizing state-of-the-art technology.
Although I have never been in this reality, by vividly implementing the unknown world of the deep sea through realistic media art, I felt like this world actually existed somewhere. The exhibition is too interesting and well-organized to be seen in just half an hour. Not only can
you read and observe the objects on display, you can also interactively explore and feel ‘the Abyss’ while walking.These days, reservations are being made online due to the coronavirus, so online reservations are available on the site below. The exhibition does not
require an entrance fee and it will last until October 10th of this year. There are other exhibitions and museums that might interest you, so it is suggested you visit at least once
JAEUN YOO
K-UNIV Reporter
