Porsche Korea opens K-heritage art exhibition at Changdeokgung Palace

Porsche Korea announced Wednesday that the opening ceremony of the "K-Heritage Art Exhibition: Line of Connection" was held Tuesday at Nakseonjae within Changdeokgung Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The ceremony brought together prominent figures including Porsche Korea CEO Matthias Buse, the Cultural Heritage Administration's director general of heritage policy, ambassadors from various countries, the director of the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History, and the president of the National Museum Foundation, along with holders and successors of national intangible heritage, participating artists, and figures from the cultural and arts community.

"This exhibition carries deep significance in that Korea's traditional culture and national heritage are being reinterpreted in the language of today and connected to the world," Buse said. "Through this exhibition bridging tradition and modernity, I hope Korea's cultural heritage will live on as a living legacy — one that inspires the next generation and the world with new dreams."

The exhibition runs through Sunday. Visitors to Changdeokgung Palace during that period may view the works at no additional charge, and guided tours are offered twice daily — at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. — with on-site registration available.

Subtitled "Mongno — Standing on the Path of Dreams," the exhibition was organized as part of Porsche's corporate social responsibility program "Porsche Future Heritage." A total of 48 holders of national intangible heritage and traditional and contemporary artists are participating, presenting more than 160 works. The exhibition connects the traditions passed down by master craftspeople with contemporary reinterpretations along a single "line," capturing the value of heritage that transcends generations.

The main exhibition space at Nakseonjae features works by national intangible heritage holders and artisans who have carried on traditional materials and techniques, including gold leaf, woodworking, lacquer and embroidery. Seokbokheon highlights the continuity between tradition and modernity through works that both preserve and reinterpret those techniques. Sugangjae showcases pieces by contemporary artists from Korea and abroad.

A special highlight between Nakseonjae and Seokbokheon is a collaborative work created by national intangible heritage holders — lacquerware artisan Jeong Su-hwa and gold leaf artisan Kim Ki-ho — together with Porsche Korea.

Now in its fifth year, "Porsche Future Heritage" is a corporate social responsibility program grounded in Porsche's brand identity of blending tradition and innovation. It aims to promote and support the transmission of Korea's unique national intangible heritage.

Through the program, Porsche Korea has donated a cumulative total of 1.22 billion won ($889,000) in support of the preservation of Korean traditional culture.

Porsche Korea has also carried out a range of social contribution activities. In May, the company partnered with Make-A-Wish Korea to hold a "Happy Children's Day, May of Growing Wishes" event at Severance Hospital's children's ward for children with serious illnesses and their families.