It’s Time for K-Culture 2026: Escape the Summer, Dive into Korea
July 8 – August 22, 2026
Summer in Korea is unlike anywhere else. From spine-tingling horror stories and bustling Korean PC Bangs, where gaming goes hand in hand with ramyun and snacks, to cutting-edge K-beauty and immersive pop culture, It’s Time for K-Culture 2026 invites you to experience how Koreans embrace the season.
Step into a one-of-a-kind immersive festival where Korean entertainment, gaming, food, beauty, tourism, and fandom come together through interactive installations, large-scale media experiences, and hands-on activities.
Whether you’re a longtime fan of Korean culture or discovering it for the first time, Escape the Summer, Dive into Korea offers an unforgettable journey into Korea’s most exciting summer traditions.
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ONGOING INSTALLATION
Ik-Joong Kang, Hangeul Wall: Things I Love to Talk About, 2024, 20,000 Hangeul tiles (mixed media on wood: 3×3 inches each), approximately 26 x 72 ft (8 x 22 meters)
Hangeul Wall: Things I Love to Talk About
Atrium
The Hangeul Wall, measuring 26 x 72 feet (8 x 22 meters) and composed of 20,000 Hangeul tiles, connects the wisdom and experiences of global citizens. Developed in collaboration with LG CNS, KCCNY launched a website in May 2024, enabling people worldwide to create their own artworks using the site’s translation and coloring functions under the theme “Things I Love to Talk About.” The website attracted over 8.2 million visits from more than 50 countries and received 7,000 artwork submissions within two months. From these, 1,000 pieces were selected through public online voting and artist review, culminating in this monumental installation.
The Hangeul Wall stands as a symbol of the rich cultural heritage of Hangeul and the universal freedom of expression, serving as a testament to our shared human narratives. Traditionally, walls are seen as barriers that divide and separate; however, the Hangeul Wall represents a different kind of structure—a wall of peace and unity. It transcends the conventional notion of separation to become a canvas of connection and harmony.
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RECENT SPRING EXHIBITION
Lee Kang So, From a River-99215 (1999)
Lee Kang So: A Field of Becoming
May 13 – June 20, 2026
Over the past five decades, Lee Kang So (b. 1943) has developed a distinctive and influential practice within Korean contemporary art. Working across painting, sculpture, installation, photography, and performance since the 1970s, he has consistently challenged fixed definitions of artistic form, approaching art as an open and evolving process rather than a finished object.
This exhibition, A Field of Becoming, brings together works from the 1970s to the present, tracing the continuity and transformation of Lee’s practice. From his early experimental works—where action, material, and environment intersect—to later paintings and sculptures, Lee’s work unfolds through time, resisting closure and embracing change.
Lee’s artistic trajectory is closely connected to New York. In the mid-1980s, he was active as a visiting professor and artist at the State University of New York, Albany, and in the early 1990s participated in the Studio Artist Program at MoMA PS1. Decades later, this exhibition at the Korean Cultural Center New York marks a renewed encounter—bringing his work into dialogue with the city that played a formative role in its development.
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