Reproductions for the Seoul Museum
ProjectIn 2009, the Asia Museum organized a major exhibition dedicated to the masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance, featuring 51 pictographic reproductions created by Bottega Tifernate. The event, titled “The Renaissance in Korea”, became one of the most ambitious cultural bridges ever established between Italy and Asia.
Objective
The goal was to bring the beauty and technique of Renaissance fresco painting to the East, allowing the Korean public to experience the precision, light, and spirituality of Italian art through works recreated with absolute fidelity to original materials and methods.
Challenge
The main challenge was to translate the essence of Italian art into a completely different cultural context while preserving its authenticity and emotional impact. Each painting had to convey the same sense of pathos, depth, and color as the Renaissance originals.
Work Phases
A team of master artisans worked for months in Città di Castello, carefully selecting natural pigments, lime, and supports identical to those used in the fifteenth century. The 51 works were executed using the pictography technique, faithfully reproducing the textures, craquelure, and transparency characteristic of original frescoes.
Installation
The exhibition was held at the Seoul Arts Center, South Korea’s most important museum, under the patronage of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Tourism and the Korean Ministry of Cultural Heritage. It drew an extraordinary audience, welcoming more than 150,000 paying visitors over just 18 months.
Outcome & Recognition
The exhibition catalogue, printed in Città di Castello, is now used as an Art History textbook in Korean elementary schools, serving as a lasting cultural bridge between the two nations. Today, the artworks are housed in a permanent museum on Jeju Island—one of Korea’s most visited tourist destinations—continuing to attract thousands of visitors from across the Far East.
Art Restitutions
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