Carta Coreana – Hanji

These artists have tackled Korean Hanji paper, also known as the "paper of a thousand years" for its great strength and resistance, in Carta Coreana, the exhibition project organised by the Accademia di Belle Arti in partnership with the Istituto Culturale Coreano.

The selected guest artists include both young first-time artists and important recognised international artists. They have been offered maximum creative freedom, with the only requirement being that they must take part in the manual production of the paper in the workshop of the Accademia di Belle Arti in Rome, the only one in Europe to specialise in the production of traditional Korean paper, which over the years has become a point of reference for restorers, artists and institutions.

The result of this experience are the works on show in this exhibition, thanks to which Hanji paper has become an integral part of contemporary research.

The Italian works dialogue with the Korean ones, and a dedicated section displays objects and artefacts that illustrate the multidisciplinary use of this paper in Korea.

"Hanji is mainly known for the restoration of antique books thanks to its exceptional capacity to last over a thousand years if preserved properly. In Korea, however, it is used in a very versatile way both for the production of everyday objects, but also in both traditional and contemporary works of art, and it is this latter aspect that we wanted to explore with the Accademia delle Belle Arti in Rome". (Choong Suk Oh, Director of the Istituto Italiano di Cultura)

"The aim of this exhibition is to bring Hanji paper into the world of the most advanced contemporary research, thanks to the contribution of artists and works made with this material." (Cecilia Casorati, director of the Accademmia delle Belle Arti di Roma)