It has been almost a year since I have been on an actual vacation. I thought it was time for me to get out and refresh myself for more productivity later on. But, of course, I could not go somewhere far away. By chance, I came across an exhibition called ‘Shall we go on a trip?’(여행갈까요 in Korean). Descriptions and reviews from different blogs encouraged me to visit this show, so I immediately shared it with my friend, who also desperately wanted a vacation. 

Finally, my friend and I headed to the exhibition, which was held in the Ttukseom museum. The front desk was made to look like the information desk at the airport. On the ceiling, it had a printed placard that read ‘Airport Information / Check-In.’ We were amazed at the details, even though we haven’t even started the tour yet. The first entrance led us to a set that resembled the inside of a plane. It had windows on the side-walls, projecting the video that showed us the view from the outside. After taking some pictures, we headed to the next room. At first sight, I saw beautiful paintings of the beach and a real-life recreation of the picture. Next to these two pictures, there were videos of the beach and phrases asking people if they want to go on a trip. Finally, a small display caught my eyes, which had some pieces of ripped scrapbook pages from the painters, woven baskets with flowers, postcards with various paintings, and many cross stitches. 

[A picture of the realistic props in the exhibition. Photo approved by Ttukseom museum]

There were many other pictures, time-lapse videos, and installation arts. However, the most exciting and engaging part was that there were many different activities to take part in. When we were checking in, we received a passport and a ticket for this exhibition. I had no idea what the passport was for, but I realized its purpose when I saw a small table with several stamps around the corner. These stamps had landmarks that symbolized each country, and there were pens for people to answer the questions that were also on the passport. A world map with post-it notes was another intriguing part, and people could freely write the things they want and stick it on the part of the world they wish to visit. In the last section, some projectors were screening videos of many countries with a red phone box in one of the corners. 

[Realistic props and pictures of the beach (left), and the image of the passport with different stamps (right). Photo approved by Ttukseom museum]

Even though this looked like a typical exhibition, there was an unexpected twist to this ordinary show. Unexpectedly, we arrived at a room with an indoor dock between the sand and branches, debris from the sea. Of course, someone must have put everything together, but the arrangement looked so lifelike because of the sea wastes. This section of the show was arranged to inform the seriousness of pollution in vacation spots and the extinction of sea animals. Some monitors were screening a documentary about the unbelievable amounts of marine trash. On the wall next to the exit, there was an explanation of the purpose of this exhibition with green plastic bottles around it. Next to the exit, I came across a description that explained the message. The point of this exhibition was to send a message about the future under the theme of traveling and the environment. Although this part of the show might seem absurd, I could understand the underlying message it was sending. 

[A picture of the wall of the indoor dock setting. Photo approved by Ttukseom museum]

Outside the last room with the impactful message, my friend and I came back to the front desk, where we checked in. The only difference was a Banana-Flavored Milk washing machine, other eco-friendly goods, and some souvenirs like postcards, world maps, and stickers. 

[Photo of the objective of the exhibition and the Banana-Flavored Milk washing machine. Photo approved by Ttukseom museum]

Overall, I was awestruck by the setup of the props because it made me feel like I am actually traveling in different countries. Not only that, but I think that the artists and staff members deserve kudos for planning and producing this exhibition with an impressive objective. According to the booking website, the exhibition will be available until September 26th. If you feel like you need a refreshing experience in your life or a short vacation in the city, I would strongly recommend you visit the Ttukseom museum.

 

 








 

Racheal Chung 
Grade 10
Seoul Scholars International

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