Overview of Gyeongbuk Arts

• The project is a result of the 2025 RISE initiative, supported by the Gyeongbuk RISE Center and funded by the Ministry of Education and Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea.

Ancient Korean Cosmology and Aesthetic Consciousness

• Understanding ancient Korean civilization’s perception through the Silla gold crown.

  • Key Concepts:

  • The king is akin to a shaman.

  • Functions of the gold crown: is it merely a display of power? (Comparison of Western crowns vs. Silla crowns).

  • Life and rhythm as forms of art.

A Dual Perspective on the Gold Crown

• Is the gold crown a luxury item or a religious tool?

  • Political-Historical Perspective:

  • Power, domination, and items of prestige.

  • Religious-Folkloric and Aesthetic Perspective:

  • Ritual and communication with the divine.

• The two perspectives on the gold crown in Gyeongju:

  • An antenna bringing heavenly energy to earth.

  • A ritualistic tool invoking divinity.

Symbolism of the Gold Crown

• The secrets of the crown's shape:

  • The king embodies the shaman role through the crown.

  • Symbolizes sacred trees: 신단수 (Shindan Tree), 우주목 (Cosmic Tree), 세계수 (World Tree) connecting heaven and earth.

  • Reference to Mircea Eliade's work on shamanism as a connection of three realms: heaven, earth, and the underworld.

Shamanism and the Role of the King

• The King as a Shaman:

  • The 굿 (gut) ceremony: a playful ritual performed by shamans involving song and dance.

  • Distinguishing between reality-oriented actions aimed at profit versus the sacred play focused on divine engagement.

The Connectivity of the Divine and Human

• 신인묘합 (Divine and Human Harmony) vs. 신인불합 (Disjuncture of Divine and Human).

• Important historical artworks:

  • 겸재 정선 (Gyeomjae Jeong Seon) and Caspar David Friedrich's works in artistic comparison related to human-divine harmony in aesthetics.

Shindan Tree as a Medium of Connection

• The tree symbolizes connection between heaven and earth, signifying the king's role in mediating divine will.

• 접화 (Grafting): symbolizing harmony and connectivity.

The Deer Antler Decoration

• The ‘출(出)’ (Exit) symbol adjacent to the deer antler decoration.

  • Universal shamanic symbol in the Eurasian cultural sphere:

  • Represents a guide leading souls from earth to heaven.

Visual and Cultural Comparisons

• The similarities between the Silla gold crown and the Scythian or Sarmatian crowns as reflected in various visual media.

Integration of Religion and Governance in Ancient Korea

• Concept of 제정일치 (Separation of Religion and Politics):

  • In ancient Korean society, religious leaders and political rulers were one and the same.

  • Dangun Wanggeom: both shaman and king.

  • The crown served as a divine artifact during shamanic ceremonies.

The Role of Gold in the Crown

• Exploration of the significance of using gold extensively in the crown’s design:

  • Serving as essential components to achieve divine engagement (신명).

  • Manifesting inner divinity visibly in ritual dances and music.

Dynamic Artistic Representation

• The crown represents a dynamic artistic piece rather than a static display.

  • Reflects the aesthetics of movement and sound as integral to its functionality.

Comparison of Aesthetics: Western vs. Silla Crowns

• Western Crown:

  • Represents geometric completeness and authority; principles of proportion and harmony.

  • Example: St. Edward's Crown - characterized by symmetry, fixed authority.

• Silla Crown:

  • Highlights the beauty of organic rhythms and asymmetry.

  • Natural curves representing living forces where the crown dynamically interacts with the performer and environment.

Philosophical Implications of Existence and Becoming

• Aesthetic distinction:

  • Being: Static authority (Western crowns) vs. Becoming: Dynamic, process-oriented representations (Silla crowns).

  • Reflects the essence of Korean aesthetics through movement.

Life and Rhythm in Art

• Reference to Gilles Deleuze’s Difference and Repetition:

  • Definition of ‘Becoming’ as an ongoing process and break from fixed identities.

Reflections on Korean Philosophical Identity

• The essence embodied in the crown:

  • Reverence for heaven and the desire for harmony with nature.

  • Represents the cosmic imagination and life philosophy of ancient Koreans.

  • The crown encapsulates notions of installation art linked to participatory art forms.

Conclusion on the Gold Crown’s Living Essence

• The crown, like a butterfly in a cocoon, embodies unseen vitality while on display in museums:

  • Mysteries of Form: Connection to cosmic trees and the shaman’s identity.

  • Functional Secrets: Light, sound, dance as sensory devices to facilitate divine connection.

  • Philosophical Secrets: Contrasting Views on existence vs. becoming highlights Western static authority versus Silla's living dynamic.

• The Silla crown, as a messenger, conveys cultural meanings of 신명, 접화, and life's rhythm within contemporary Korean aesthetics.