Contestant and Player
Pink Boilersuit, 2021, Green Tracksuit, 2022
Jo Sang-kyung
Squid Game
This striking drama has a simple premise: the winner of six children's games walks away with a tantalising prize of 45.6 billion KRW (about £28 million). All contestants wear identical green tracksuits, differentiated only by their identification number tags. The anonymous guards wear hot pink hooded boilersuits and black masks bearing a square, triangle or circle according to their rank. Squid Game explores the idea of 'Hell Joseon', a popular Korean term comparing the social inequalities, injustice and corruption of contemporary Korea to those of the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910).
[V&A]
Taken in the Exhibition
Hallyu! The Korean Wave
(September 2022 until June 2023)
Hallyu! The Korean Wave showcases the colourful and dynamic popular culture of South Korea, exploring the makings of the Korean Wave and its global impact on the creative industries of cinema, drama, music, fandom, beauty and fashion.
From K-Pop costumes to K-drama props and posters, alongside photography, sculpture, fashion, video and pop culture ephemera, the exhibition invites visitors to delve into the phenomenon known as 'hallyu' – meaning 'Korean Wave'. Hallyu rose to prominence in the late 1990s, rippling across Asia before reaching all corners of the world and challenging the currents of global pop culture today.
Hallyu! The Korean Wave explores the makings of the Korean Wave through cinema, drama, music and fandoms, and underlines its cultural impact on the beauty and fashion industries. The exhibition features around 200 objects alongside pop culture ephemera and digital displays across four thematic sections.
[V&A]
Contestant and Player
Pink Boilersuit, 2021, Green Tracksuit, 2022
Jo Sang-kyung
Squid Game
This striking drama has a simple premise: the winner of six children's games walks away with a tantalising prize of 45.6 billion KRW (about £28 million). All contestants wear identical green tracksuits, differentiated only by their identification number tags. The anonymous guards wear hot pink hooded boilersuits and black masks bearing a square, triangle or circle according to their rank. Squid Game explores the idea of 'Hell Joseon', a popular Korean term comparing the social inequalities, injustice and corruption of contemporary Korea to those of the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910).
[V&A]
Taken in the Exhibition
Hallyu! The Korean Wave
(September 2022 until June 2023)
Hallyu! The Korean Wave showcases the colourful and dynamic popular culture of South Korea, exploring the makings of the Korean Wave and its global impact on the creative industries of cinema, drama, music, fandom, beauty and fashion.
From K-Pop costumes to K-drama props and posters, alongside photography, sculpture, fashion, video and pop culture ephemera, the exhibition invites visitors to delve into the phenomenon known as 'hallyu' – meaning 'Korean Wave'. Hallyu rose to prominence in the late 1990s, rippling across Asia before reaching all corners of the world and challenging the currents of global pop culture today.
Hallyu! The Korean Wave explores the makings of the Korean Wave through cinema, drama, music and fandoms, and underlines its cultural impact on the beauty and fashion industries. The exhibition features around 200 objects alongside pop culture ephemera and digital displays across four thematic sections.
[V&A]