Living with Plants: Korea’s Native Houseplant Exhibition at The # Gallery

Rediscovering Native Plants: A Review of Korea's Indoor Garden Exhibition 2022

From July 11 to July 22, 2022, the Korean National Arboretum and POSCO Construction held a collaborative exhibition at The # Gallery in Seoul, centered on the theme of indoor gardening and companion plants. As someone deeply interested in plant culture and how it integrates into our daily spaces, I visited the exhibition to explore how Korea envisions future co-living with plants.

---

🌿 Plants and Psychology

The psychological benefits of plants are well documented—not just scientifically, but also experientially and culturally. According to studies (Jo & Hong, 2016; Hong, 2017), plant-filled environments enhance mental well-being through comfort, air purification, and natural aesthetics, even when people are not consciously aware of these effects.

These environments—where nature is integrated into our homes and cities—are increasingly recognized as essential, not optional, for healthy modern living.

---

🌲 Companion Plants: Living Together Indoors

The exhibition opened with a central question:
“How can we better coexist with plants in our homes?”

Through informative visuals and themed zones, the exhibition explained the origin of indoor gardening, dating back to 16th-century European orangeries—structures designed to protect plants from the cold.

Visitors were invited to rethink their understanding of plants as passive decoration. Instead, the exhibit proposed seeing them as companions—living roommates in our shared space.

---

🌱 Focusing on Native Korean Plants

The highlight of the exhibition was its emphasis on native Korean plants for indoor use. While popular tropical houseplants like Monstera and Snake Plant dominate the market, native species have long been overlooked.

Korean native plants are well adapted to the country’s four-season climate, even tolerating sub-zero temperatures (down to -20°C). Though some go dormant in winter, many show seasonal beauty when given the right conditions.

Despite this, tropical plants remain more popular, in part because they stay green year-round. But this exhibition encouraged a shift in perspective: appreciating local biodiversity and exploring indoor gardening with native species.

---

☀️ Understanding Light, the Source of Growth

Another standout section explained plant ecology through sunlight—the unchanging truth that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Plants were displayed based on their light preferences, from shade-lovers to sun-seekers, showing how to optimize indoor placement.

Even a small windowsill can become a sanctuary of freshness with the right plant and the right light.

---

🌸 A Vision for the Future: Plantrium by POSCO

Alongside the exhibit, POSCO Construction unveiled a new urban lifestyle concept: Plantrium, a greenhouse-style indoor garden café integrated into residential complexes.

Instead of placing green areas at the periphery, Plantrium proposes bringing nature to the core of our homes. POSCO plans to implement these spaces in upcoming apartment complexes starting in 2023.

It’s a bold vision: not just visiting a botanical garden—but living in one.

---

🧠 Final Thoughts

This exhibition wasn’t just about plants—it was about rethinking our relationship with nature at home. As modern life becomes more digital and enclosed, this event was a timely reminder that green spaces are not a luxury—they're a necessity.

Whether you're a plant lover, a designer, or someone exploring sustainable lifestyles, this exhibition offered deep insights into what it means to live with nature—not apart from it.

---

🇰🇷 Want to read this article in Korean?
👉 Read the full review on our Korean Naver blog: https://blog.naver.com/greenfingers_kr/223635441225

As cities grow taller and days get busier, exhibitions like this remind us of something simple yet essential:
Living with plants is not just about design—it’s about balance, care, and coexistence.

Whether it's a native plant in your window or a greenhouse café in your apartment, nature has a way of softening the edges of our lives.

🌿 Let’s keep growing together—one green space at a time.

🌎 Planet Greenfingers, Green Architects' SOUUP