5 Helpful Tips For Visiting The Auschwitz Exhibit In Boston
The Auschwitz Exhibit in Boston opened on March 15th at The Castle at Park Plaza. Ramiro and his wife Nicole recently visited the exhibit, and what was meant to be…
The Auschwitz Exhibit in Boston opened on March 15th at The Castle at Park Plaza. Ramiro and his wife Nicole recently visited the exhibit, and what was meant to be a 90 minute visit, turned into a 3-hour stay. To be honest, he said that he could have easily stayed for hours longer.
What is the Auschwitz Exhibit in Boston
Auschwitz was the largest Nazi concentration and death camp. It was also the most lethal of all of them. More than 1,100,000 people were killed behind its barbed wire fences. The exhibit is the first traveling exhibition about the Auschwitz concentration camps. According to their website, The Auschwitz Exhibit contains over "700 original objects of great historic and human value." They say that most of the objects have never been show in New England before. This will be the only time you can see this exhibition on the East Coast during this tour.
The exhibit takes place at The Castle at Park Plaza, 130 Columbus Ave. in Boston. You can get your tickets at Ticketmaster, and there is a group discount for 10 or more. An FYI about bringing in bags. Because of space and safety considerations, no large bags are allowed. That includes: backpacks, duffel bags, briefcases, large purses, etc. And as far as guided tours, tickets to the exhibit include a complimentary audio guide compliments of WCVB Channel 5 Boston.
5 Tips From Ramiro for visiting the Auschwitz Exhibit in Boston
- Get there early. You’re only given a 90 minute window for the experience. We were there for 3 hours and could easily have been there for another 3. It’s not like they’re going to throw you out for staying past your time, but you just want to make sure that you give yourself enough time for the whole thing. Note from The Auschwitz Museum in Boston website: "Time inside the exhibition varies by person. Many take 1.5 to 2 hours to take in the content fully, however, there is no time limit once you have entered."
- Silence your phone. Or better yet turn it off. Trust me, this is something that you’ll wanna pay attention to. And chances are, if you’re like me, this will be the longest amount of time that you won’t even think about checking your phone.
- If you go with someone else or in a group, plan on not being together the entire time. They might go ahead or stay behind, because there’s just so much to see and read and not everyone does those things at the same level. spread apart, it’s all good. You’ll find each other at the end.
- Get ready to experience some heavy stuff. I can’t imagine someone walking out of there feeling better or even the same as they felt when they walked in.
- All that being said, the exhibit is something that everyone needs to see. It’s honestly worth twice the price and like it or not, it’s a part of our history, and it happened not long ago.
The Auschwitz Exhibit in Boston will be on display until September 2nd.
Hallyu! The Korean Wave Hits Boston In An Illuminating New Exhibit At The MFA
Hallyu! The Korean Wave has arrived at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts! From award-winning films like Parasite, record-breaking dramas like Squid Game, to global sensation K-pop groups like BTS and BLACKPINK, South Korea has shown itself to be a country of innovation and influence. This new exhibit is not only a display of incredible art, it's also a captivating presentation of Korean history, culture, and people.
Hallyu! The Korean Wave Exhibit
The first major exhibition to focus on South Korean pop culture and its worldwide influence, Hallyu! the Korean Wave will be on view at the Museum of Fine Arts from March 24th through July 28th 2024. The exhibit features about 250 object that highlight Korea's contributions in the areas of art, cinema, drama, music, fashion, beauty, and technology. It's described as "The first major exhibition to explore the origins, evolution and incredible impact worldwide of Korea’s pop culture, Hallyu! celebrates a vibrant creative force that bridges cultural, societal and linguistic divides—and continues to reach new heights today."
Other Hallyu! The Korean Wave programs at the MFA
I love that there are so many other great programs available, in addition to the exhibit.
May 2nd - Min Jin Lee: Writing and the Korean Wave - I'm so excited for this. The award-winning author of Pachinko and Free Food for Millionaires will be in conversation with Min Hyoung Song, Professor and Department Chair of English, Boston College. You can get your tickets here.
Hallyu Hits: Korean Films That Moved the World - The festival will take place from May 16th–June 13th, and will feature hits like Parasite, Snowpiercer, Oldboy, and Train to Busan. There will also be screenings of Past Lives, and Minari.
Special lectures - There are several lectures taking place over the next few months. On March 27th from 1pm - 3pm, it's Ashes to Powerhouse: South Korea from the 1950s to the 2020s. On April 3rd from 1pm - 2:30pm, it's The MFA's Korean Art Collection and Hallyu! On April 24th from 1pm - 2:30pm, It's Hallyu Cinema which will include the impact that streaming services like Netflix are having on the film industry in South Korea. If fashion is your thing, On May 1st from 1pm - 2:30pm, don't miss Hallyu and Korean Fashion. There are also many other lectures, special events, courses, special nights, and performances you can check out. Here's the entire list.
I was able to preview the exhibit before it opened, and had an incredible time. Here are some of the highlights you can expect from Hallyu! The Korean Wave.
Hallyu! The Korean Wave at the MFA
PebblesHallyu! The Korean Wave has arrived at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Always exciting to walk up to the MFA for a new exhibit.
Hallyu! swag
PebblesAlways nice to get a little swag at an event. We were treated to these great posters and tote bags. We even got some delicious food as well.
Welcome to Hallyu! The Korean Wave
PebblesOn the way into the Hallyu! exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts.
Entrance to Hallyu! The Korean Wave
PebblesEntrance to Hallyu! The Korean Wave exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts. It was so exciting to see this stunning display at the entrance.
My new friend Cori Ahn
PebblesMet Cori Ahn while waiting to go into the exhibit. We talked about children's books, kimchi, her fashion designer friends, and more. She ended up being my personal tour guide through the exhibit, and gave me a great perspective on items we looked at.
Children's book author Cori Ahn
PebblesChildren's book author Cori Ahn holds up My Name Is Kimchi. The book explores the cultural significance of kimchi, Korea's national food. It also tells the dog's journey to being named Kimchi.
Squid Game comes to the MFA
PebblesI think I'm the only person in the world that hasn't seen Squid Game. The series is Neflix's most-watched series in 94 countries. It revolves around a secret contest where 456 people who are struggling financially. They then participate in series of children's games for billions of dollars.
Bathroom of the movie Parasite
PebblesA recreation of the bathroom featured in the movie Parasite. The 2020 movie made history when it became the first non-English-language film to win the Oscar for ‘Best Picture.’ According to an Instagram post by the MFA, "The inclusion of the “Parasite” bathroom was discussed with production designer Lee Ha-Jun and it was agreed that the bathroom would be the most powerful set to recreate, as a way to highlight the societal inequalities explored in the film."
Crash Landing on You
PebblesCrash Landing on You is about a South Korean heiress who accidently lands in North Korea after a paragliding incident. She then forms a relationship with an army officer and members of the community. Super popular series that was an introduction to Kdramas for a lot of people when the pandemic hit.
Kdrama costumes
PebblesThe green outfit on the right is the one that was worn by Park Bo-gum in the series Love in the Moonlight. Loved this one about a woman who secretly enters the palace as a eunuch, and ends up forming a relationship with the crown prince.
Traditional men's Korean hats
PebblesHere are four different men's Korean hats. From left to right: the Gat is the basic hat worn by nobles outdoors , Jeongjagwan - a hat worn by upper-class scholars at home, The Jurip was worn mainly by the royal guards and was part of the royal army and the bottom right one is Manggeon and was used to hold the headdress.
Historical Kdrama table setting
PebblesI've seen this scene so many times in Kdramas. I LOVE historical Kdramas, also known as sageuk. The table setting here is bronzeware known as bangjja or yugi. A complete set of bangjja includes dishes, bowls, spoons, and chopsticks, and was historically used as tableware for the royal families of Korea. I was lucky enough to buy a couple bowls, chopsticks, and a spoon on my visit to Seoul.
Julia Kwon in front of her artwork
PebblesArtist Julia Kwon in front of her Korean silk artwork that's sewn in the format of Korean object-wrapping cloth called bojagi. It's a really moving and emotional piece as the yellow bars represent a graph of the different types of AAPI discrimination in the United States. I stood in front of this for a long time. Art really is powerful.
Kpop comes to the MFA
PebblesKpop costumes worn by RM from BTS and Wooyoung from ATEEZ
PebblesAs a proud member of the BTS ARMY fandom, I almost screamed when I saw this part of the exhibit. The outfit on the right was worn by my BTS bias Namjoon aka RM. It was worn when the group performed Ddaeng at the BTS Prom Party in 2018.
Kpop costumes worn by Wooyoung from ATEEZ (left) and RM from BTS 9right) of BTS
PebblesIn case, like me, you want a more close-up look at the outfits, here you go! Yes I feel a little nuts that I got that excited about something one of my favorite people in the world once wore. But you gotta take the joy where you can get it! Lol
Korean culture and fashion
PebblesThis was such a stunning display. They include classic and modern hanbok. Hanbok is the traditional clothing of Korean people.
Moon Jar Dress, Blue, 2021. / Minju Kim
PebblesThe Moon Jar dress is the creation of Minju Kim. She was the winner of the first season of Next in Fashion. You'll see the inspiration for the dress in the next picture. The Moon Jar.
Korean Moon Jar
PebblesThe Moon Jar is one of the items from the Korean art collection at the MFA. The white porcelain moon jar is from the 18th century. It's from the Joseon dynasty, the last dynastic kingdom of Korea.
Pebbles and the wall of Kpop lightsticks
PebblesThis wall is a display of various Kpop lightsticks. Different groups have their own unique lightsticks that you take to the concerts. The first lightstick is credited to G-Dragon, the leader of BIGBANG. He decided their fans should have a light to support them on stage, and designed a yellow, crown-shaped golden lightstick named BangBong. I personally have a BTS one known as an ARMY Bomb, named after the BTS fandom.
Kpop light sticks
PebblesIf you've ever been to a Kpop concert, or have seen one online, you've also seen the sea of light sticks. Different groups have their own versions of light sticks. This display included ones from BTS, Blackpink, and more. I recently got my own BTS light stick and can't wait to go to a concert to use it!
Pebbles tries Kpop choreo
Cori AhnNo I can not dance. But yes, I wanted to give it a try. This interactive exhibit shows you some moves to That That by Psy and Suga of BTS. There are different levels to try. I did the lowest level obviously.
Hallyu is_____________?
PebblesThe final stop on the Korean Wave is this wall. You then can take a paper and write your answer and post it on the wall. You can see what my friend and I posted for ours.
Hallyu is_____________?
PebblesMy new friend Cori Ahn and I sat down to reflect on what Hallyu means to us. The one with BTS and Kdramas is obviously mine. And Cori Ahn summed hers us up with: fabulous, inspiring, beautiful, and aesthetic. I agree with all of this!
