Bright lights meet dark arches: South Korean digital art illuminates Bankside railway arches

The bright lights of South Korea have come to the dark brick arches under the railway in Bankside, with the opening of an exhibition of digital art by Korean artists.

Seoul-based artist Gyoungtae Hong and director Younsook Im present have created a multimedia exhibition exploring the bustling city of Seoul that ranges from the ancient to the very modern. Drawing on Seoul’s history, such as the Gwanghwamun gate, the shopping district of Myeongdong and Korean deities, each installation in the arches shows a different part of the city’s history, and they’re also presented in often very different styles.

It’s all set amongst the dark railway arches, lit up only by the artwork, so sometimes you’re standing in front of large, brightly lit screens and other times walking through dark and dimly lit spaces where the (digital) rain falls on the outside of windows.

It’s also very obviously very Korean, with the bright lights of the modern city contrasting with the stone statues of antiquity.

There are twelve artworks in separate rooms to explore and do explore as a couple could be missed out if you don’t go around fully.

It’s quite an experience, and you’re not going to be reverentially looking at art and more likely taking selfies in the mirror effects and spending ages watching the big screen with hundreds of corporate logos scrolling up and around it. I spent about an hour in there all told, taking in all the exhibits on display.

I’d suspect that if you enjoyed the style and design of the V&A’s Hallyu exhibition earlier this year, then you’ll like this art exhibition.

The exhibition is in Borough Yards, with an entrance underneath the arches close to the river, next to the Clink Prison museum.

It’s open until Spring 2024, and tickets can be bought from here.

Adult (13+):  £21.60 | Senior (65+), Young person (13-26): £17.30 | Child (4-12): £14

A note: there are stairs to get up to some of the rooms, and there’s no lift, so step-free access is only on the ground floor, which gets you about two-thirds of the exhibition.