Spencer Museum of Art The University of Kansas
Exhibition installation

Toy Stories: Souvenirs from Korean Childhood

October 25, 2008 – January 24, 2009 | Asia Gallery II

Toys are more than fun. As cultural artifacts, they embody the fantasies, values, obsessions and anxieties of a generation, speaking to the global relevance of play and the imagination across cultures. Drawn from the Hyeon Tae-Joon Collection, this exhibition—a veritable toy box of more than 90 vibrantly colored Korean action figures, robots, miniature tanks, and paper dolls from the 1970s and ’80s—captures a time when Korea was undergoing economic and social flux. While many of the toys featured were appropriated from American and Japanese toy designs, they were often reinvented to reflect an emerging commercial world of Korean comics as seen in the popular animated series Robot Taekwon V.

Public Programs

10.30
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Student Night:
6-8 PM /
Sponsored by SMA Student Advisory Board / Enjoy free food, music, activities and art!
11.8
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It Starts With Art! Childrens art appreciation classes for ages 5-14: Toy Stories
10:30 AM & 1:30 PM / Central Court & Galleries
Learn about the exhibition of Korean toys from the 1950s and create your own childhood toy / $ / To enroll, contact Jessica Johnson, SMA Education Department, 785.864.0137 or smakids@ku.edu or visit our website to enroll online
11.20
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Art Talk: Curator Kris Ercums on Toy Stories: Souvenirs from Korean Childhood
6:30 PM / SMA Asia Gallery
11.20
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Film: Robot Taekwon V
7 PM / SMA Auditorium
Introduction by Professor Michael Baskett, theater & film / Shown in conjunction with Toy Stories: Souvenirs from Korean Childhood / When an army of giant mecha (walking vehicles controlled by a pilot) attack, young martial-arts champion Kim Hoon must pilot Robot Taekwon V to defend the planet! Inspired by Mazinger Z, a Japanese anime popular in 1970s Korea, Robot Taekwon V was the country’s first full-length animated feature and the first to be digitally restored (1976, director Kim Cheong-gi, 79 minutes)
12.6
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It Starts With Art! Childrens art appreciation classes for ages 5-14: Comic Relief
10:30 AM & 1:30 PM / Central Court & Galleries
Students will use the toys from the Korean Toy Stories exhibition as an inspiration before drawing their own comic strip / $ / To enroll, contact Jessica Johnson, SMA Education Department, 785.864.0137 or smakids@ku.edu or visit our website to enroll online
12.14
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Family Program: Toy Stories
1 3:30 PM /
In conjunction with Toy Stories: Souvenirs from Korean Childhood / Enjoy free hands-on art activities from 1-2 PM followed by a screening of the film Toy Story from 2-3:30 PM

This exhibition is organized by The Korea Society, New York City.

The Korea Society