‘Father’s True Heart’ Exhibition

The work, Mountain, from “Father’s True Heart” Exhibition

The “Father’s true Heart” Exhibition is organized by the World Mission Society Church of God and hosted by Melchizedek Publishing Company. It is a follow-up exhibition to the “Our Mother” Writing and Photo Exhibition. This exhibition was held to illuminate the silent life and love of fathers through various artworks, resonating gently in the hearts of modern people. It aimed to facilitate the restoration of familial bonds, intergenerational communication, and harmony.

Since its initial launch in February 2019 at the Church of God in Gwanak, Seoul, Rep of Korea (hereinafter referred to as Korea), the exhibition has been held five times in cities such as Busan, Daejeon, and Gwangju, Korea. Throughout these events, it attracted a total of 130,000 visitors.

Exhibition Purpose and Intention

The Follow-Up Exhibition to the ‘Our Mother’ Writing and Photo Exhibition

Middle-aged and elderly male visitors look around the “Father’s True Heart” Exhibition.

The Church of God has been organizing exhibitions, following the nationwide success of the “Our Mother” Writing and Photo Exhibition (hereinafter referred to as Mother Exhibition) in 2013. Many visitors who were deeply moved by reflecting on mothers’ love during the Mother Exhibition requested an exhibition focusing on fathers’ love. In response, the Church of God hosted the “Father’s True Heart” Exhibition (hereinafter referred to as the Father Exhibition), featuring the life and love of fathers. After a brief initial opening at the Church of God in Gwanak, Seoul, in December 2018, the exhibition officially commenced in February 2019.

Strengthening Family Love

The family visitors take commemorative photos at the photo zone.

Since ancient times, fathers have been educators who teach their children, role models who pass on their work ethic, and the support of the family, taking full responsibility for household finances and family assets. Fathers in their 50s and older in Korea, born during the baby boomer era, played a significant role in revitalizing the Korean economy by actively participating in major historical events such as the Vietnam War, working as miners in Germany and as construction workers in the Middle East. However, with social changes, there has been a sharp increase in family breakdowns, and the absence of conversation and communication within family members has become widespread, resulting in fathers gradually losing their presence in the household.

The Church of God organized the Father Exhibition to acknowledge the efforts and tender sincerity of all fathers, hoping to help families in modern society regain a sense of unity and strengthen weakened family bonds. The exhibition encourages viewers to read the stories about fathers depicted in the artworks and understand the sincerity of fathers. The younger generation can empathize with the steadfast love of fathers, which may have gone unnoticed, by reflecting on the lives of their fathers’ generation that they themselves haven’t experienced. Meanwhile, the older generation can foster intergenerational communication not only by reflecting on their own lives but also on family relationships. Newcomers to the workforce, expectant fathers, and fathers raising young children can find direction and gain courage in their lives by learning from the examples of preceding fathers.

Comforting Modern People

Visitors peer at the trinkets stained with their fathers’ fingerprints.

Another purpose of hosting the Father Exhibition is to provide solace to modern people exhausted by hectic daily routines and stress. Modern people are enduring physically and mentally exhausting lives amidst fierce competition in various arenas such as schools and workplaces, all in the pursuit of survival in an endless competitive society. The Church of God planned the Father Exhibition with the hope that the church members and their neighbors would find comfort and strength through the exhibition, following the teaching of God, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

In a survey conducted by the Church of God among 1,357 visitors, the most common response to the question about the meaning of fatherhood was “support.” Indeed, fathers provide strong comfort just by being by our side.

The Church of God aimed to sum up the steadfast love of fathers, akin to a sturdy pillar of a house, in the exhibition, hoping to provide modern people with an opportunity to find solace and take a momentary respite from their weary hearts.

Structure of the ‘Father’s True Heart’ Exhibition

A soldier on vacation visits the “Father’s True Heart” Exhibition.

The Father Exhibition consists of a main exhibition featuring literary works, photos, and memorabilia, as well as experiential spaces such as a video literature hall, “True Heart” through statistics, a photo zone, a heartfelt post office, and a book café.

Main Exhibition

The main exhibition hall features over 200 literary works, including writings by established authors such as Park Mok-wol, Lee Hyun-se, and Jung Ho-seung, works by literature club members, and the readers’ contributions, including their writings, photographs, and memorabilia, submitted to Melchizedek Publishing Company.

The works submitted by literary club members and readers include poems, essays, columns, photographs, and memorabilia that contain stories and memories of fathers. The exhibition showcases a variety of memorabilia, ranging from the items imbued with tender memories between fathers and children to the objects used by fathers who experienced significant events in Korean modern history. Depending on the unique features of the exhibition venue, writings by local authors may be added or props may be changed accordingly. The exhibition hall is organized into five themes under the subtitle, “On That Silent Love,” Hall 1. “Father’s Home,” Hall 2. “I’m Okay,” Hall 3. “. . . ,” Hall 4. “That’s What a Father Is,” Hall 5. “I Came to Find the Lost.” To help visitors evoke memories of their own fathers, each sub-theme is created using common phrases frequently spoken by fathers in their everyday life.

The entrance of the exhibition hall is adorned with wrought iron gates, and on the doorplate, the most common name among men born during the Korean baby boomer era, “Young-soo,” is engraved to enhance empathy. In each hall, there are themed prop zones installed to complement the respective themes.

The photograph titled Going Out from “Father’s True Heart” Exhibition

The photograph titled Cultivation from “Father’s True Heart” Exhibition

Inside the Exhibition Hall of the “Father’s True Heart” Exhibition

Themes	Content
Hall 1. “Father’s Home”	Sweet childhood memories related to fathers
Hall 2. “I’m Okay”	The daily life of fathers who have devoted themselves to their families from behind the scenes
Hall 3. “. . .”	The inner thoughts of fathers who have always maintained silence
Hall 4. “That’s What a Father Is”	Father’s endless love for family
Hall 5. “I Came to Find the Lost”	Father and the paternal love written in the Bible

Collections of artworks and explanations translated into English, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Mongolian, Vietnamese, Nepali, and other languages are also available for foreign visitors.

Side Events

Various side events have been arranged to allow visitors to engrave the love of fathers more deeply in their hearts.

Students examine survey results about fathers’ true heart.

Events	Content
Heartfelt Post Office	Visitors can express their true hearts they haven’t conveyed to their fathers by writing letters or postcards. Letters have long writing space for expressing personal feelings, and postcards contain photographs exhibited in the Father Exhibition. The written letters and postcards are delivered through the organizer’s complimentary postal service.
True Heart in Statistics	Survey statistics depict how fathers and children perceive each other. You can discover the true heart of fathers and children that you may not have realized before.

“One More Handspan” Campaign

The “One More Handspan” Campaign on the “Father’s True Heart” Exhibition Website

As part of the Father Exhibition, the Church of God is conducting the “One More Handspan” Campaign to promote family love. The title implies the hope for restoring strained relationships between fathers and children, fostering stronger family bonds, and bringing hearts closer by just one more handspan. The campaign is carried out both online and offline, including on the official website of the Father Exhibition, at the exhibition venue, and in nearby locations.

The campaign consists of various experiential services, including surveys targeting fathers and children, tests measuring the emotional distance between fathers and children, webtoons and videos featuring anecdotes about fathers and children, and downloadable emoticons expressing family love. The online campaign consists of four steps.

Step	Content
Step 1. Rediscover Your Father	Watch videos and webtoons on the theme of family love. (Available for viewing on WATV Media Cast and YouTube channel “Exhibition ON”)
Step 2. How Distant Are You From Your Father?	Measure the psychological distance with your father. (Participants will receive family love-themed emoticons upon participation.)
Step 3. What Is Your True Heart?	Participate in a survey and review the results on how fathers and children perceive each other. (Participants will receive family love-themed emoticons upon participation.)
Step 4. Send Your True Heart	Send the emoticons received in Step 2 and 3 to your father or child via mobile.

The Current Status of the ‘Father’s True Heart’ Exhibition

Since its initial opening at the Church of God in Gwanak, Seoul, Korea, in February 2019, the Father Exhibition has garnered significant interest from visitors. In September 2019, it was simultaneously held at the Church of God in Suyeong, Busan, Korea, further expanding its reach and attracting a large audience. For one year, the exhibition drew over 110,000 visitors, with each venue experiencing a steady stream of visitors throughout the day.

Visitors of various ages from students to the elderly attended the exhibition. Additionally, people from various sectors such as cultural, legal, political, and educational fields also visited. Since father’s love transcends religion, people from different religious backgrounds also visited the exhibition. Visitors often came to the exhibition after reading newspaper articles about it.

Due to overwhelming local interest and a surge in visitors, both the Seoul and Busan exhibitions were extended beyond their originally planned durations. From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, the exhibition expanded its offline exhibition area online, uploading exhibition artworks and meeting visitors through online platforms. As the momentum of the pandemic eased, the exhibition resumed on September 15, 2022, at the Church of God in Gwanak, Seoul. On September 29, 2022, it opened at the Church of God in Seo-gu, Daejeon, and on February 23, 2023, at the Church of God in Seo-gu, Gwangju.

History of the “Father’s True Heart” Exhibition

Times	Area	Venue	Period
1	Gwanak in Seoul (1)	The Church of God in Gwanak, Seoul	February 28, 2019 – January 19, 2020 (Temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic)
2	Suyeong in Busan	The Church of God in Suyeong, Busan	September 26, 2019 – January 17, 2020
3	Gwanak in Seoul (2)	The Church of God in Gwanak, Seoul	September 15, 2022 – June 22, 2023
4	Seo-gu in Daejeon	The Church of God in Seogu, Daejeon	September 29, 2022 – February 28, 2023
5	Seo-gu in Gwangju	The Church of God in Seogu, Gwangju	February 23, 2023 – August 30, 2023
6	Euichang in Changwon	The Church of God in Euichang, Changwon	April 13, 2023 –
7	Imae in Seongnam	The New Jerusalem Imae Temple	August 17, 2023 –
8	Wonju	The Church of God in Wonju	November 2, 2023 –

Character Education in Connection With the Exhibition

The Church of God conducted character education linked with the exhibitions to nurture upright character and warm personality in growing youth, aiming to bridge the gap with the parent generation and enable them to become strong pillars of society.

The education took place at the Church of God in Suyeong, Busan, and the Church of God in Gwanak, Seoul, where the exhibitions were being held. About 2,500 students and parents attended the event in Busan alone. An inspiring lecture introduced the Korean modern and contemporary history and encouraged the youth not to lose their dreams despite any difficulties, leaving a significant impact on them.

High school student Cho Na-young, who participated in the education, said, “Listening to the stories that I had seen in photos and writings at the Father Exhibition made them even more vivid.” She also recalled learning at school, “History repeats itself,” and added, “The difficult times experienced by the older generation serve as a model for us, helping us overcome difficult times when we encounter them. I think it is important to listen to and understand the stories of adults.”

The adults also mentioned that it became an opportunity to understand and appreciate their parent generation. Mr. Park Bong-cheol, in his 50s, said, “I’ve realized that the hardships our parents endured were not just for themselves but for the future generations like us. I am grateful for their courage to overcome all difficulties with the determination not to pass on the irrationality, inconvenience, and poverty they experienced to the next generation, and finally to leave a better environment to us. I hope that our society will embrace each other, rather than opposing each other for their own purposes.”

‘Exhibition ON’ Channel

When the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020, the Church of God suspended the offline operation of the Mother Exhibition and Father Exhibition in compliance with government guidelines to prevent the spread of the virus. Instead, the church took proactive steps by launching the YouTube channel titled “Exhibition ON” and sharing exhibition-related videos online. This initiative aimed to ensure that people could still experience and share the emotional impact of the exhibitions, particularly during the isolating times of the pandemic.

Currently, the videos related to the Father Exhibition posted on “Exhibition ON” include a variety of content: exhibition literary artworks, anecdotes about props, introduction to the Father Exhibition, a campaign video cartoon titled “One More Handspan,” and documentaries. The channel’s videos can also be viewed on WATV Media Cast.

Evaluation on the Exhibition

The Father Exhibition gained prominence with coverage in over 60 major domestic newspapers, magazines, TV channels, and other media outlets. One broadcasting company aired the interview video about the Church of God and the Father Exhibition for about 50 minutes. The media acclaimed the Father Exhibition hosted by the Church of God, recognizing it not only as a source of consoling for modern people burdened by societal pressures but also as an occasion to affirm family love and foster communication with local communities.

A few visitors were motivated to visit the exhibition venue after seeing media coverage. After reading a newspaper article, Mr. Han Gi-deuk traveled from Pohang to the Church in Gwanak, Seoul, to see the exhibition. He shared his impressions, “While viewing the exhibition, I found myself contemplating on whether I, as a father, am fulfilling my role properly. Today’s visit served as an opportunity for me to reflect on the responsibilities of fatherhood.”

Since the resumption of exhibitions in 2022, visits by people from all walks of life, including those from the political, legal, government, economics, cultural, and media circles, are becoming more active. Visitors from diverse age groups, ranging from students to the elderly, praised the exhibition for providing them with opportunities to understand paternal love. The novelist Kim Jeong-hyeon, who wrote the novel, Father, described the Father Exhibition as “a space where one can read the true heart of fathers, who are always the objects of caution, in their relationships with their wives, children, and society.” Kim Ha-young from Suwon said, “I remembered my father, who always sends letters filled with thoughts of his children even when he’s away from home.”

Interviews

• Kim Jeong-hyeon, Novelist: “The destiny of a father in a world where challenges loom large and reality is unforgiving. Yet, may I educate without instilling greed, restrain words of bitterness to prevent discord, nurture with love, and strive to be a joyful father. As a father, I must tread upright, not bowed by adversity, enduring with patience to lessen shame, and skillfully handling these demanding responsibilities. I am reaffirmed once again at the ‘Father’s True Heart’ Exhibition.”
  
• Enkhchuluun, Director of Administration at New Ulaanbaatar International Airport, Mongolia: “It felt like meeting my own father. A warm energy seemed to be embracing me”
• Paul Fernando Duclos Parodi(Ambassador of Peru to the Republic of Korea): "I have realized that fatherhood is a universal concept. This exhibition has made me feel a lot."

External links

• ‘Father’s True Heart’ Exhibition
• Exhibition ON / Church of God

See also

• The Church of God’s Community Service Activities
• Church of God Family & Neighborhood Communication Support
• “Our Mother” Writing and Photo Exhibition

Related videos

• ‘Father’s True Heart’ Exhibition

• [Invitation] ‘Father’s True Heart’ Exhibition, Church of God Father's Exhibition