A new exhibition showcasing the work of Korean graphic artist Kang Goo-Ryong opened in Budapest on Thursday. “Rhapsody of Letters: Variations in Layers” is on display at the Korean Cultural Centre until the end of November.
Exploring Korean hangul characters
The exhibition goes beyond traditional typography, inviting visitors to experience letters as more than just readable symbols. Kang’s work explores how Korean hangul characters — alongside Chinese and Latin scripts — can convey sound, movement, and even cultural memory. One installation even allows visitors to walk through the artwork, transforming the act of reading into a physical experience. Kang’s exhibition delves into the origins of writing itself: Why did humans begin creating symbols from sounds?
How did a few lines evolve into systems capable of preserving memories, thoughts, or even the experiences of people from centuries ago? For Kang, a letter is not just a graphical element but a condensation of sound, gesture, movement, and deep cultural history, MTI wrote.
Every day, we encounter thousands of letters — in messages, signs, books, or on our phone screens — and instantly seek meaning in them. But Kang asks: What happens when we don’t immediately read a letter? What if we first perceive it as a shape, a movement, or the imprint of a sound? This question lies at the heart of his solo exhibition.
Blending typography and imagery, Korean and Latin scripts
The artist’s work often blends typography and imagery, Korean and Latin scripts, and the idea of transforming familiar characters into something unexpected. As Kang puts it, one of the thrills of typography is making the familiar unfamiliar.
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At the centre of the exhibition is Hangul Corridor, a five-metre-long installation made of bright red foil that stretches across the floor. It connects the consonants and vowels of hangul into a single, cohesive system, as if the characters are growing into branches, paths, or a network.
Visitors can step into and walk through the piece, turning the flat surface of writing into a three-dimensional experience.
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