A stone’s throw from Borough Market, tucked under the railway arches, you’ll find Pulse: Beyond Delight. This art exhibition focuses on Korean culture, history, and modern-day life, and from the moment you step through the arched doorway, you’ll be transported to Seoul. I had previously visited the sister exhibition, Delight: Media Art Exhibition, and loved it; after seeing the reviews for Pulse: Beyond Delight, I knew I had to revisit the Borough Yards venue.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A beautiful experience of being surrounded and immersed in Korean-influenced digital art.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Beautiful and original. The staff and organisers were so helpful. I was mesmerised.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Absolutely amazing exhibition. Really great value for money, we loved it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was my second visit… and I was pleased to see some exciting new changes.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Fantastic immersive exhibition. Very enjoyable way to spend an hour or so away from the busy streets.
So, did my visit live up to the other Pulse: Beyond Delight reviews?
In short, yes! As the Pulse: Beyond Delight reviews promised, this exhibition was full of totally immersive art. I was transported to the streets of South Korea and smack bang into the artworks themselves. This wasn’t artwork I could simply observe, but rather, I could actually step into the pieces. These carefully crafted digital art projections stretched beyond floor to ceiling; they covered the floor and props in many of the installations. Sound was utilised fabulously to truly captivate visitors.
I don’t want to give away everything you can see at Pulse: Beyond Delight, but I did have a fair few favourites this time around. ‘Miles and Moments’ reminded me of an airport, with the moving letters and words. I felt like I was on a travelator at times, despite the fact I was standing still. Well, they do say powerful art should move you…
Elsewhere, I enjoyed the photo ops of ‘Legacy’, which took me through the different seasons of Korea – I could walk on water and play in snow mere seconds apart – and the ‘Seoul Story’ room, where I did my best Abbey Road impression. I was pleased to see the return of the ‘Everywhere Anywhere’ moon, which had been revamped to be even more striking, plus my absolute favourite from the former exhibition: ‘Urban Forest’. I never noticed on my last visit that was mirrored, which made it seem like the neon signs were going on forever. Most of the installations used mirrors cleverly, so I shouldn’t have been surprised, really.
The staff at the exhibition were friendly, and I felt welcomed from the moment I entered the venue. Speaking of the venue, it was like the TARDIS! The venue is much larger than it appears, with various staircases and open rooms. As each room had a different digital artwork, I didn’t know what I would walk into next, and I wholly enjoyed the element of surprise.
Throughout the exhibition, adults and children alike can get further invested in the space by going on a treasure hunt for QR animals. All you need to do is download the Pulse: Beyond Delight app (you can do this upon arrival at the venue), then look out for the stickers on the wall. The technology is cool: you scan the 2D animal stickers hidden amongst the artwork with your phone, and they transform into an intricate 3D animation in your app. If you collect them all, you can redeem a free postcard from the gift shop.
Overall, I enjoyed my visit to Pulse: Beyond Delight. It is a real symphony of art and sound – and it feels like a fresh, modern update of the former exhibition. I highly recommend slipping away from the hustle and bustle of London for an hour for this unique look at Korean culture – bag your tickets here.
