Seoul Craft Museum opens hands-on 'Secrets of Wood' children's exhibition

The Seoul Museum of Craft Art opened Secrets of Wood on Tuesday at the Children’s Museum in its Education Building in Seoul. Developed with woodworking artist Somokjang Semi, the exhibition runs through Sept. 19, 2027, and features seven interactive installations. Its three sections invite children to explore wood’s sensory qualities, build with it and use it in physical and cooperative games. The museum plans to hold workshops with the artist in December.

Children can explore wood colors, patterns, textures and scents through installations including an acupressure bench and a rotating maze inspired by underground tree roots.

One section lets children assemble wooden pieces into Korean letters and words and create images with decorative wood veneers.

The physical activities include climbing among suspended wooden balls, playing foosball and guiding a ball with a partner.

Somokjang Semi’s legal name is Yoo Hye-mi, and she has adapted traditional joinery methods for contemporary furniture, spatial installations and play structures.

Advance reservations are required through the museum website under general admission to the Children’s Museum.

Published Nov 3, 2026 4:01 pm KST

The exterior of the Craft Museum for Children, part of the Seoul Museum of Craft Art, features stacked circular terracotta louvers inspired by an eolle, a traditional Korean wooden thread reel. Courtesy of Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport

Wood becomes more than something to build with at a new exhibition in Seoul, where children can follow its grain, explore its textures and scents, assemble wooden letters and turn traditional woodworking techniques into games.

The Seoul Museum of Craft Art opened "Secrets of Wood," an interactive exhibition developed in collaboration with woodworking artist Somokjang Semi, on Tuesday at the Children's Museum on the third floor of its Education Building.

The exhibition runs through Sept. 19, 2027, and features seven interactive installations designed to introduce children to the physical properties and creative possibilities of wood.

The exhibition is organized around three themes: discovering the senses, discovering structures and discovering possibilities.

The first section invites children to explore the colors, patterns, textures and scents of different types of wood through installations including an acupressure bench and a rotating maze inspired by underground tree roots.

The second section focuses on construction and design, allowing children to assemble wooden pieces into Korean letters and words and create images using decorative wood veneers.

In the final section, physical activities and cooperative games demonstrate how wood can become a medium for movement and social interaction.

Among the installations are a climbing activity involving suspended wooden balls, a foosball table and a two-person game in which participants coordinate their movements to guide a ball toward its destination.

Somokjang Semi, whose legal name is Yoo Hye-mi, has worked with traditional woodworking techniques to create furniture, spatial installations and play structures, reinterpreting traditional joinery methods for contemporary settings.

The museum plans to hold workshops with the artist in December, giving children an opportunity to meet her and learn about woodworking.

Advance reservations are required through the museum's website under general admission to the Children's Museum.

"I hope this exhibition will provide children with an opportunity to become more familiar with wood and craft," said Park Sang-bin, director of the Seoul Museum of Craft Art.

"We will continue to present various exhibitions through collaborations with craft artists to broaden children's curiosity and imagination."

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.

首尔工艺美术馆周二在其教育大楼的儿童博物馆内举办了名为“木的秘密”的展览。该展览由美术馆与木工艺术家Somokjang Semi合作开发，将持续至2027年9月19日，展出七个互动装置。展览分为三个部分，引导孩子们探索木材的感官特性，用木材进行搭建，并在体能游戏和合作游戏中运用木材。美术馆计划于12月举办与艺术家合作的工作坊。

孩子们可以通过各种装置探索木材的颜色、图案、纹理和气味，这些装置包括穴位按摩长椅和受地下树根启发而设计的旋转迷宫。

其中一个区域可以让孩子们用木制零件组装成韩文字母和单词，并用装饰木片创作图像。

体育活动包括攀爬悬挂的木球、玩桌上足球以及与伙伴一起引导球。

Somokjang Semi 的法定姓名是 Yoo Hye-mi，她将传统的细木工技法应用于当代家具、空间装置和游乐设施的设计中。

参观儿童博物馆需提前通过博物馆网站进行预约，预约方式为普通门票。

发布于2026年11月3日下午4:01（韩国标准时间）

首尔工艺美术馆旗下的儿童工艺美术馆外立面，以韩国传统木制线轴“eolle”为灵感，饰以层叠的圆形陶土百叶窗。图片由韩国国土交通部提供。

在首尔举办的一场新展览中，木材不再仅仅是建筑材料，孩子们可以沿着木纹探索木材的质地和气味，组装木制字母，并将传统的木工技术变成游戏。

首尔工艺美术博物馆周二在其教育大楼三楼的儿童博物馆举办了名为“木头的秘密”的互动展览，该展览由首尔工艺美术博物馆与木工艺术家Somokjang Semi合作开发。

展览将持续到 2027 年 9 月 19 日，展出七个互动装置，旨在向孩子们介绍木材的物理特性和创造可能性。

本次展览围绕三个主题展开：探索感官、探索结构和探索可能性。

第一部分通过包括穴位按摩椅和受地下树根启发而建造的旋转迷宫在内的装置，邀请孩子们探索不同类型木材的颜色、图案、纹理和气味。

第二部分侧重于搭建和设计，让孩子们能够将木制部件组装成韩文字母和单词，并使用装饰木饰面来创作图像。

在最后一部分，体育活动和合作游戏展示了木材如何成为运动和社交互动的媒介。

这些装置包括一项涉及悬挂木球的攀爬活动、一张桌上足球台以及一项双人游戏，参与者需要协调他们的动作来引导球到达目的地。

Somokjang Semi，本名 Yoo Hye-mi，运用传统木工技艺创作家具、空间装置和游乐设施，将传统细木工技法重新诠释，使其适用于当代环境。

博物馆计划在 12 月举办与这位艺术家的研习班，让孩子们有机会与她见面并学习木工技艺。

参观儿童博物馆需提前通过博物馆网站进行预约，预约方式为普通门票。

“我希望这次展览能让孩子们有机会更加熟悉木材和工艺，”首尔工艺美术馆馆长朴相彬说道。

“我们将继续与工艺艺术家合作，举办各种展览，以拓宽孩子们的好奇心和想象力。”

本文由生成式人工智能协助发布，并由《韩国时报》编辑。