Christie brings cultural artifacts to life at NMK

Visitors admiring the mesmerizing projections on the ultra-wide panoramic screen measuring
60 meters in length (Photos courtesy of the National Museum of Korea)

SEOUL – The National Museum of Korea (NMK), the largest museum in Korea with over 220,000 objects in its collection, has chosen Christie’s projection, image processing and SDVoE solutions to bring cultural artifacts to life in a new exhibition space known as the Immersive Digital Gallery.

Officially opened in late May, it comprises four attractions that leverage a range of leading-edge 3D visual technology to emulate a physical world through digital means. One of the main highlights is Gallery 1, which features an array of mesmerizing, 8K resolution content displayed on an ultra-wide panorama screen measuring 60 meters in length and 5 meters in height.

The amazing visuals have been made possible using eight Christie D20WU-HS 1DLP® laser projectors, two Christie Pandoras Box Quad Players, a Pandoras Box Player, a Pandoras Box Manager and Widget Designer, as well as eight sets of Christie Terra transmitters and receivers. They were installed by Christie’s trusted partner Star Networks, which delivered several highly-acclaimed large scale projects in Korea, including the world’s first robot theme park – Gyeongnam Masan Robot Land.

“We needed a fully integrated solution that not only delivers excellent visuals and color fidelity, but also a powerful content management and AV-over-IP system that offers long-term reliability since all products are fitted in a high-use environment,” said Eun-jin Park, section chief, Star Networks. “The Christie solutions are our top choice because they fulfilled all the requirements and have a good track record of delivering outstanding visuals. I don’t think there is another solution on the market that can match this suite of products in terms of performance, level of integration and dependability.”

Throughout the installation process, Star Networks worked closely with celebrated VFX and CG animation studio MOFAC, which created the visual content, to ensure that the projected images are perfectly integrated and synchronized to deliver the definitive experience. Visitors can enjoy bright and beautiful panoramic projections of some of Korea’s most famous paintings, such as ‘Royal Procession with the People’ which depicted a Joseon king’s procession, and ‘Climbing Mt. Geumgang’ that featured breathtaking sceneries.

First deployment of Christie Terra in Korea

This project marks the first deployment of Christie Terra SDVoE solutions in Korea, and it is also the first cultural heritage project undertaken by Star Networks that utilizes immersive content befitting of the modern age.

“Through the successful completion of this project, we are proud that Christie’s laser projection, image processing and SDVoE solutions have been established as the benchmark for challenging immersive content in many museums in the future,” said Park, who added that the technical experience gained by Star Networks team will enable them to provide progressive solutions to more customers in the future.

According to Eun-jeong Chang, curator, NMK, audiences who stepped into Gallery 1 are enthralled by the vivid and highly immersive content. She said: “We have received lots of positive feedback from visitors, and many of them are in awe of the quality of the visuals and how historical works of art can ‘come alive’ so convincingly in a real physical space. It’s gratifying that the integrated technologies implemented in this space have provided an enchanting experience that transports visitors across time and space.”

Michael Bosworth, executive vice president, Enterprise, Christie, added, “We are delighted that NMK has chosen our powerful and dependable projection, image processing and SDVoE solutions for this fascinating Immersive Digital Gallery, which demonstrates the versatility and unlimited possibilities of delivering spectacular experiences. It is also heartening that museums and public spaces are embracing visual technology and offering people new and unprecedented ways to experience cultural heritage.”