Prime Minister Julia Gillard attended the opening of the NOW and WHEN: Australian Urbanism exhibition in Seoul this week, providing a publicity boost to the already highly successful show of architectural ideas.

The innovative exhibition focuses on possible futures for urban spaces.

It was launched at the Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA) as part of the ‘Australia Digital Urban Portraits’ show, a Korea-Australia exchange exhibition celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between both countries.

The Prime Minister was a guest of honour at the opening. And her visit to Seoul has received significant worldwide attention, coming as part of a three country visit to key trading partners South Korea, China and Japan.

Attending the opening, Australian Institute of Architects National President Karl Fender said the Prime Minister’s attendance represented a powerful message of support for the Australian profession of architecture, and its place on the world stage.

“Australian architects continue to export their skills and expertise across the Asia-Pacific region, with more than 1,000 of our members working offshore in fast-growing markets including Korea and China,” Fender said.

“Prime Minister Gillard’s attendance at this exhibition effectively promotes the profession to the world, and the importance of sustainable design, while enhancing our reputation as key exporters across Asia.”

The Seoul exhibition is the first time NOW and WHEN: Australian Urbanism will be seen outside Italy and Australia, and represents the next step in an ongoing tour planned for the show — which attracted a record 93,000-plus visitors to the Australian Pavilion at the 2010 Venice Architecture Biennale from August to November last year.

It’s currently showing to solid audiences at the Gold Coast City Gallery since opening there on 25th March, and will show at the Object Gallery in Sydney’s Surry Hills from 2 July to 25 September 2011.

Fender said the exhibition features spectacular architectural visions of Australia’s potential urban future in 2050 and beyond, along with ground-breaking 3D stereoscopic aerial views of three Australian urban landscapes of the present. Audiences enjoy a new form of 3D stereoscopic technology beyond the latest cinematic releases.

The NOW component by pre-eminent photographer and Co-Creative Director John Gollings (Image below) features a sequence of 3D aerial images of Melbourne, Sydney and Surfers Paradise, contrasted with the giant mining pits at Kalgoorlie and Newman.

The WHEN component, overseen by Co-Creative Director Ivan Rijavec and produced by FloodSlicer (below), features a nine minute sequence of ‘ideas’ from 17 architectural collaborations of possible future urban spaces — including floating cities, submerged cities, and new desert spaces.