I never really heard of the Trick Eye Museum, but Peach was adamant we check it out. And boy, am I glad we did! If ever you find yourself in Seoul, and you suddenly find yourself all “palace-d” out or if the DMZ tour got to you and you’re looking for a bit of levity, then this place is perfect for you. Or if you are into art galleries but you are looking for something different, this is worth checking out. Plus, it won’t require you having to run the length of a football field just to check everything out!
After getting back to town from our DMZ Tour, we made our way to the Hongdae area, which is considered to be a “university” area. To get there, take the Hongik University Station (Line 2) and get off Exit 9, and expect to do a bit of walking. Once you get to Hongik-ro Street, cross the road, take the narrow side road between Tony Moly and Holika Holika. Around 100 meters on and you’ll find it.
It was already late in the afternoon when we got to Hongik-ro. I think it was almost 5pm. We just kept walking until we saw this sign. Now you have to pay close attention. Being a university area, the place is quite hip since it caters to young people, so lots of cosmetic stores, boutiques and cafes. Store and shop signs are everywhere, and they don’t believe in sticking to neutral colors. If you don’t pay enough attention, you might miss the sign the first time.
The Trick Eye Museum is actually two levels beneath ground level.
I couldn’t explain what the Trick Eye Museum is clearly, so I’ll let the sign do it for me.
Trick Eye Museum is divided into various areas: the Cats Museum, the Santorini Gallery and Cafe Santorini, the Magic Mirror Room, and the Main Exhibition Hall. Now we only had an hour and a half before the place closes, so we decided to concentrate on the Main Exhibition Hall. However, we dropped by the Santorini Gallery first.
And this is where I was able to take a photo with Audrey Hepburn. Sort of.
I think this is the reception area. It’s where visitors can hang out, have coffee, buy some snacks, buy their tickets to enter the Main Exhibition Hall (the outer galleries are for free), and pick up some reading material. There was also a locker area where you could stash your staff so you can just bring your cameras inside and you can move around freely!
I don’t know if we were lucky in picking the time to come here, because the place wasn’t crowded. It was a Sunday evening, and I think by this time, the crowds were hitting the night spots, so the place wasn’t too overrun.
A Kim Soo Hyun sighting at Trick Eye. I did say he’s going to be making his presence felt throughout this trip.
We took tons of photos here. Tons. (After all, that’s the general idea of this place, really. To have your photo taken alongside these masterpieces.) But I don’t want to bombard you too much with our faces. XDD
The first things you’ll see when you enter the hall are art works that “shift” depending on your perspective. Perfect examples are the two below. Just move positions a bit, and the image transforms into something else.
So now, let’s TRICKEYE!
Don’t judge. Haha!
One of my favorite shots.
The one on the left is our attempt to recreate the welcome banner at the front of the museum building. Only… this one appears more sleazy.
Channeling Becky Bloomwood, the Trick Eye way.
*Cue Dishwalla’s “Angels & Devils”. The lyrics of which have nothing whatsoever to do with this photo, well… except for the obvious.
Again, another of my favorites. 🙂
When I left this place, I still felt as though there were some other art works I wasn’t able to check out.
It was, all in all, a very relaxing time, filled with laughter and mischief. The perfect way to end a day spent learning about strained relations and conflicts. Thanks again, Peach, for including this in the itinerary. I never would’ve stumbled upon it if the planning were left to me. 🙂
* Photos from my camera and Peach’s.
