VISIT JEJU

Arte Museum is located in Aewol on the island’s west side. It is a large space situated in a renovated warehouse. This means it has plenty of space for parking, including room for tour buses. And its location just off the Pyeonghwa-ro—a road that connects Jeju City with the south and west of the island—means it’s an easy stop-off as you travel between these two areas. This region of Jeju is also home to some of the island’s most famous natural and man-made attractions. From the museum, you can drive to the gravity racing track 9.81 Park for high-speed thrills in under ten minutes. Saebyeol Oreum, one of the island’s most famous volcanic hills due to the spectacular views you get at the top, is a similar distance away. It’s also around 20 minutes from Hyeopjae Beach, Jeju Shinhwa World, and Osulloc Tea Museum. These are all attractions well worth making space for in your itinerary. 

The museum is split into ten zones. Each one is a multimedia display that showcases a different part of nature or art. Moving images projected on walls, ceilings, and floors are central to each zone. While strategically placed mirrors and carefully coordinated sounds help create an immersive display. The whole experience is super visual and colorful, making it a great spot to snap some interesting shots of your time on the island. The Beach space is the perfect example of what you can expect. Here a video of the sea at night is projected onto the walls, giving the impression of waves crashing into the room. But it doesn’t end there—the images are also projected onto the floor so the water appears to lap around your feet. Meanwhile, mirrors at either end of the room make the beach feel like a coastline that stretches on infinitely. The soundtrack finishes off the illusion by playing the sounds of the sea in time with the video. The Night Safari room is another highlight, this time because it adds an interactive element. The colorful exhibit is full of trees, animals, and the sound of wildlife. Kids can use this as inspiration to draw pictures of their own animals. They can then scan these creations into the system so they show up within the exhibit. 

The wave room contains a slightly different, yet equally striking effect. The artwork uses 3D technology to show a giant wave crashing around in a tank. It’s a unique way to imagine the power of the sea and an eye-catching illusion. The jungle room, meanwhile, is a reimagining of a colorful rainforest. Keep an eye out for the giraffes, lions, and elephants that prowl the room. In the waterfall exhibit, blue light flows down the room’s 8-meter tall column and gushes around the floor. The illusion is then expanded infinitely through the use of 14 carefully angled mirrors. Other exhibits include the flower room that showcases the vitality of flowers and the star room that uses mirrors and lamps to highlight the infinity of space. Meanwhile, the Moon room contains a 4-meter tall rabbit that relates to the Korean story that says a rabbit lives on the moon making rice cakes. There’s also a room that showcases the darkness of a wormhole. These exhibits all include plenty of special effects and opportunities to be wowed by the visuals. The Garden zone is a slightly different take on the theme. Garden One contains recreations of famous paintings from the Renaissance to the Symbolism movement. These giant projections add animations and movement to the paintings, giving the visitor a different perspective of famous works of art. Keep an eye out for Michaelangelo’s The Creation of Adam, Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, or Gustav Klimt’s Judith and the Head of Holofernes. Meanwhile, Garden Two is a relaxing walk through Jeju scenery. You’ll see attractions such as Cheonjiyeon Waterfall and the Osulloc green tea fields.

Once you’ve taken in all there is to see in the museum, you can take a rest at Arte Tea Bar Camellia. Here you’ll enjoy tea and mocktails while digital art projections of blooming flowers are shown around you. A cup of tea is KRW 4,000 or KRW 3,000 if you buy the drink as part of a package with your museum ticket. The art museum is also home to a souvenir shop that sells plenty of Jeju-related merchandise.