Closing ceremony of 'DBEW 2024' (from left) Architect Mara Cervetto, ADI President Luciano Galimberti, Nicoletta Brugnoni, Curator Rosana Orlando, Consul General of the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Milan, Kim Tae-woo, Designer Anna Gilli, Designer Stefano Giovannoni, and Professor Choi Kyung Ran (Director of OCDC)
DBEW EXHIBITION 2024, an exhibition organized by the Oriental Culture & Design Center (OCDC) of Kookmin University (President Jeong Seung Ryul) to commemorate the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Italy, has come to a successful conclusion.

Co-organized by Kookmin University's Oriental Culture & Design Center (OCDC), LINC3.0 Project, and ADI Design Museum, 'DBEW EXHIBITION 2024' was sponsored by Hanjin, Korean Air, and Persis, with the cooperation of the Italian Embassy and Cultural Center in Korea, the Korean Embassy and Cultural Center in Italy, and the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.

Held at the invitation of Milan's ADI Design Museum, which has been awarded the prestigious golden Compasso d'Oro Award for its 70-year history and is designated as a national cultural heritage by the Italian government, the exhibition, which was held from April 16 to May 5 under the theme of 'ochchil Furniture and Design,' attracted more than 12,000 visitors during Milan Design Week 2024, and was praised for presenting Korean traditional ochchil as an important material for future materials and living furnishings by looking at it from a new perspective, demonstrating Korean aesthetics beyond the East and West.

In particular, by presenting the traditional Korean technique of ochchil, a 100% natural material, as a new material that is gaining prominence in a sustainable society, it was an opportunity to show the world the vision and possibilities of ochchil as a future material for home furnishings. The ochchil furniture designs presented in the exhibition, which were completed in collaboration with world-renowned Italian masters Alessandro Mendini and Stefano Giovannoni, captured the attention of people around the world through new forms and colors, surpassing even the preconceived notions of ochchil that Koreans had about ochchil through the deep colors and designs created through ochchil.

'DBEW 2024'. (From left to right) 'OD Sinnok 2023', 'OD Kwangyul, 2024', 'OD Mendini Homage, 2024'

'OD Mendini Homage' is a partition using the façade pattern (2016) designed by OCDC for the Paradise Hotel in Korea and commissioned by Alessandro Mendini. Other participants in the exhibition included Korean furniture and space designer Cho Eun Hwan, Jung Hye Jo a leading Korean ochchilware artist, artisan Son Dae Hyun a Seoul intangible cultural asset and holder of the Chiljang Najeon chilgiware and Marco Oggian, a promising young Italian designer.

The closing ceremony was attended by ADI President Luciano Galimberti, world-renowned curator Rossana Orlandi, Consul General of the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Milan, Kim Tae-woo, Yeo Hyun-kyung of the Korea Foundation for International Exchange, and Stefano Giovannoni, one of the exhibition's featured artists.

Designer Stefano Giovannoni, who participated in the exhibition, said, “I think the collaboration with the artisans in this exhibition shows an innovative integration of trends beyond the traditional technique of ochchil.” “I proposed the gradation technique while designing the works and the artisans implemented it, which is a technique that has never been tried in traditional ochchil, and it was an innovative attempt and integration of trends different from the traditional technique.”

Professor Choi Kyung-ran (Director of OCDC), who curated the exhibition, said, “The response of many people from around the world has confirmed that beauty is not different between East and West.” “We will further develop healthy attempts at beauty through ochchil that penetrate the East and West, and continue to try to combine sustainable materials and ochchil to pursue beauty that the world can communicate through innovative furniture,” he said.

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