The Hallyu exhibition comes courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Photo: Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
The National Museum of Australia has announced its next blockbuster exhibition, hot on the heels of Ancient Egypt, which recorded 208,900 visitors over its nine-month run, and the breathtaking Pompeii, complete with its digital dramatisation of the fateful Mount Vesuvius eruption, which closed recently.
What’s next? K-pop! Think Netflix’s hit show Squid Game. Or the Oscar-winning film Parasite. Or singer and rapper PSY with his 2012 viral dance hit ‘Gangnam Style’.
Organisers say The Hallyu! The Korean Wave exhibition will follow the “vibrant and colourful pop culture of South Korea and its meteoric rise to international prominence”. It will run in Canberra from 12 December 2025 to 10 May 2026.
It’s the first time its developers, the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London, have taken it into the Southern Hemisphere, and they promise visitors “a dazzling journey through the world of Korean film, drama, music, TV, fashion, design, beauty, art and fandom”.
‘Hallyu’ is the name given to the ‘Korean Wave’, a rise in the popularity of South Korean pop music and films since the late 1990s, largely brought on by the end of military censorship over the country’s entertainment industry.
The Hallyu exhibition will showcase about 250 objects. Photo: Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
The exhibition will use about 250 objects, costumes and studio props to “illustrate the powerhouse behind the biggest and fastest-growing contemporary cultural wave from Asia” and chart “the dramatic transformation of South Korea in the late 20th century”.
“The exhibition will be complemented by a dynamic program of Korean music, dance and food, allowing visitors to the museum to immerse themselves in the Korean cultural experience,” the museum said in a statement.
National Museum director Katherine McMahon expects it to receive similar crowds as the recent exhibitions on Ancient Egypt and Pompeii, but describes it as an “exciting shift for the museum”.
“The South Korean cultural juggernaut is one of the most influential movements of our time and has been embraced by audiences around the world,” she said.
“Strap yourselves in for a K-Museum takeover this summer, with a season of ‘Korean-cool’ exhibits, music, dance, food, film and more.”
In the meantime, the museum will focus on a giant of Australian pop culture for its winter exhibition on Mr Squiggle.
From 4 July to 13 October 2025, Mr Squiggle and Friends: The Creative World of Norman Hetherington will treat visitors to an up-close and personal encounter with the beloved puppet Mr Squiggle, the Man from the Moon who starred in the ABC TV show bearing his name from 1959 to 1999.
The exhibition is drawn from the original collection of show creator Norman Hetherington. Acquired by the museum last year, the collection includes more than 800 objects including puppets, artworks, scripts, costumes, props and sets.
Norman Hetherington’s daughter, Rebecca Hetherington, and the National Museum of Australia’s Dr Sophie Jensen with an original Mr Squiggle puppet. Photo: James Coleman.
The free exhibition will also include the show’s other well-known characters such as Blackboard, Rocket, Bill Steamshovel and Gus the Snail.
“We can’t wait to share this exhibition with parents and grandparents who grew up with Mr Squiggle and allow them to reconnect with their childhoods, and to bring along the next generation to experience Norman Hetherington’s particular whimsy, humour and magic,” Ms McMahon said.
“The show celebrates one of the most original and creative minds our country has produced.”
After finishing in Canberra, the key puppets in the show will go on a national tour.
Visit the National Museum for more information.
