[Seoul] Discovering A World Behind The Paintings at Trick Eye Museum (트릭아이 미술관)

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It takes a certain personality to enjoy walking through deathly silent, deserted art galleries and appreciate the work of the artists. I always wonder why can’t the experience be a little more fun and interactive? If you wonder about the same thing as me, I have a place for you to visit in Seoul, the Trick Eye Museum!

Located in the midst of Hongdae area, the bustling art and culture hub in Seoul, Trick Eye Museum has opened its doors to fun seekers since 2010. It is called ‘Trick Eye’ for a reason. Employing an art technique called ‘trompe-l’œil’ (French for ‘deceive the eye’), the museum uses 2D imagery to create optical illusion to confuse the viewers that the depicted objects exist in 3D.

The museum is located at the basement. As we walked down the stairs, we were immediately greeted by tons of interesting artworks. Just to give you a taste of what you’ll find inside the museum!

Hey, did you see someone get stuck in the ceiling? 😛

Can you guess which part of me is the real me?

Watch out! Hulk’s here!

How did Kev get into that metal barrel?

Right outside the entrance to the Trick Eye Museum is a main square that is decorated like Santorini in Greece. In addition to classy fountains and sculptures, it is also home to the museum café, ‘Café Santorini.

Admission to the Trick Eye Museum is 15,000 won for adults and 12,000 won for children and students (with student ID). Prior to our trip, I found a discount coupon on Visit Korea which gave us a 20% off! The admission also includes the entrance fee to the Ice Museum which is just across the main square. What a deal 🙂

One thing to note: the ticket does not allow re-entry. So it is very important to make sure that you have visited all the artworks before you exit!

Also, no flash photography or food.

When you’re ready, have your camera within reach. You could never imagine what’s behind the door 🙂

Unlike any other typical art galleries where patrons are only allowed to view paintings, visitors at Trick Eye Museum can freely touch, take photos, and interact with the art just so they look as if they are part of the original work.

Make sure you have your camera fully charged and that your memory card has enough space! There are plenty of photo spots for you to capture all the quirky moments 🙂

Above are just a few photos we took at the Trick Eye Museum. Doesn’t it seem a lot of fun?! Kev and I sure had a great time and enjoyed posing comically with the paintings 😛 Be sure to allow at least 2 hours to walk through the entire museum and take photos in between. Time flies when you’re having too much fun! May your day be filled with laughter while enjoying the interactive art 🙂

If you’d like to explore Seoul more, check out this travel guide.

About Trick Eye Museum (트릭아이 미술관) – Seoul

Address: 20, Hongik-ro 3-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul Seogyo Plaza B2 (서울특별시 마포구 홍익로3길 20)
Tel: 02-3144-6300
Hours: 9:00~21:00 daily
Admission: 15,000 for adults; 12,000 for children and students (includes entrance fee to Trick Eye Museum)
Website: http://www.trickeye.com/

How to get to Trick Eye Museum?

Take subway to Hongik University Station (line 2), exit 9. Go straight and turn left on the first intersection. Then turn right on the 2nd alley (in between Tony Moly and Holika Holika). Trick Eye Museum will be on your right as you continue on for about 100m.