What is Pop-Up Art?
Pop-Up Art is an art genre in which two-dimensional forms are reconstructed into three-dimensional forms by lending physical forces.  It is worked by pulling, spreading, rotating, or opening two-dimensional objects.  This genre includes all types of three-dimensional visual art, like books and forms popping up when spread.

Part One, Varying Pop-Up Art
Pop-up techniques were first applied to religious books for the clergy, astronomy books, calendars, and maps in the 1200s.  After 100 years, poet Raymond Lull made the first academic pop-up book which moved in a dial.  In the period from the 1500s to 1600s, as the liberal arts greatly advanced, popups were often used for academic purposes like medical books, including books on anatomy.  Then, in the 1700s, pop-up books produced with clear objectives stood out in the practical fields like children’s books, paper plays, and horticulture.  The 1800s was the heyday of pop-up books.   After Dean & Son Publisher became successful in Europe, publishers tried to publish a larger variety of pop-up books.  The pop-up book market collapsed in the 1900s because of the first World War, but this was a short period.  After the war, people wanted something funny, so pop-up books revived.
Continuously, nowadays pop-up books are read children and adults alike.  Pop-ups are diversely exploited for advertisement and stage design.

Part Two, Books Alive!
Pop-up books become three-dimensional sculptural works when unfolded.  When we see the cover of the books, it is the same as normal books. However, when we open the book and turn pages, there appear three-dimensional images.  These three-dimensional sculptural works visualize stories like films. Pop-up images are used in many books; books with classic stories, books introducing pattern design, typography, and architectural design.

Part Three, Paper Itself is an Art!
Paper has been considered an ancillary material and tool by people for a long time.  However, paper can be an art itself.  For artists like Benja Harney and Robert Sabuda, paper is the most valuable material of their art.  They give breath to paper so that it can be seen in three dimensions.

Part Four, Pop-Up Library
There is a small pop-up book library at the end of the exhibition area.  There are over 300 popup fairy tale books arranged on the bookshelves.  People can sit and read pop-up books there. And there is a Docent Program in which docent read pop-up books for audiences interestingly and optically by using pop-up images in the book.  This library is a great favorite with audiences because they all have curiosity about pop-up books while seeing the exhibition.