DRESDEN.- Today marked the final curtain for 100 Ideas of Happiness. Artistic Treasures from Korea, an exhibition that transformed Dresden’s Royal Palace into a vibrant meeting ground between Korean heritage and European history. Over the past months, more than 78,000 visitors explored the show, which closed on August 10, 2025, after captivating audiences with its mix of ancient treasures, royal splendor, and timeless reflections on the meaning of happiness.
A Dialogue Across Centuries and Cultures
Staged in the baroque State Apartments and the New Green Vault, the exhibition—created in collaboration with the National Museum of Korea—wove an unexpected dialogue between Korean court art and Saxon opulence. At its heart was a universal question: What does happiness mean?
Answers came in many forms: a golden crown that once graced a Silla dynasty monarch, delicate porcelain from Korea’s royal courts, shimmering silk garments, and intricately carved talismans. Colors, symbols, and themes spoke of eternal life, inner strength, peace, and joy—ideas as relevant today as they were centuries ago.
For Marius Winzeler, Director of the Green Vault and the Armoury, the exhibition was more than just an art display.
“My favorite moment was seeing the enthroned Buddha facing the audience chair of Augustus the Strong. It’s a conversation across continents and centuries,” he said. “The response from younger visitors especially was heartening—proof that Korean art has a universal magic.”
A Rare Glimpse of Korea’s National Treasures
Among the 180 works on view, the gold jewelry from the Silla royal tombs drew special attention. Surrounded by the treasures of Augustus the Strong in the Sponsel Room, these pieces—including the famed gold crown from Geumgwanchong—offered a once-in-a-generation chance to see objects rarely loaned outside Korea.
More Than an Exhibition
In Dresden, the Korean show was accompanied by an ambitious program: Korean Week in late May brought traditional music, dance, and culinary delights to the city, while an international symposium explored the philosophy and history behind the art. The closing weekend added hands-on workshops, family activities, and even a participatory art project, The Whole World is a Single Flower, where visitors became part of a collective artwork.
A Lasting Impression
For many, the magic of 100 Ideas of Happiness lay in its contrasts: gold crowns against baroque gilding, serene Buddhas beside royal thrones, Korean calligraphy echoing through Renaissance walls. The exhibition didn’t just present objects; it invited visitors to reflect on the very fabric of human joy, across time and place.
As the last guests stepped out of the Royal Palace today, the halls seemed quieter—but the dialogue between Dresden and Korea, between past and present, will echo far longer than the summer of 2025.
