Maximizing Affect, Minimizing Impact with Hansik

Abstract

With its theme of ‘Feeding the Planet: Energy for Life,’ the 2015 Milan Exposition offered a unique opportunity for smaller Asian nations to present their unique culinary heritage before a largely Italian audience. Korea took the fair’s theme seriously, seeking to educate audiences about the health benefits of hansik, its distinctive, often fermented, vegetableheavy cuisine. The Korean pavilion brought fairgoers inside the experience of how the cuisine works, virtually on a cellular level, in a highly aestheticized environment resembling an art installation. While hansik probably won few Italian converts, the youthful energy and exuberance reflected in the pavilion and its guides that exploded onto the streets of Milan during Korea week in June 2015 reflected its positive international cultural branding.