Talking About Global Solidarity with Contemporary Artists from the 5 New Southern Countries

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghyun Choi] The Overseas Culture and Public Relations Office of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that it will hold an online contemporary art forum and artwork screenings from the 6th to the 15th, inviting exhibition planners and artists from five New Southern countries.

Each year, the Overseas Culture and Public Relations Office invites key figures in the overseas contemporary art field to create opportunities for exchange and discourse with domestic figures, and to strengthen overseas cooperation networks through the ‘Invitation Project for Key Overseas Figures.’

This year, under the theme “ME Culture / WE Society,” 28 exhibition planners and media artists from five New Southern countries?Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines?and Korea will participate together. Interviews with participants and media artworks will be available sequentially from today on the official website and social media platforms. Additionally, artwork screenings will continue both domestically and internationally. In Korea, a free screening will be held on the 7th at CGV Cheongdam Cine City, and in the five participating countries, screenings are planned for October at overseas Korean cultural centers and other venues.

The event includes five overseas exhibition planners: Michelle Ho, who participated as the exhibition planner for the Singapore Pavilion at the 58th Venice Biennale in 2020; Farah Wardani, director of the 2021 Jakarta Biennale; Joselina Cruz, director of the Manila Contemporary Art Museum; Vietnamese exhibition planner Phuong Linh Nguyen; and Thai exhibition planner Manuporn Luengaram.

Additionally, ten overseas media artists will attend and showcase their works: Quynh Dong and Do Van Hoang from Vietnam; Lavender Chang and Kray Chen from Singapore; Syaura Qotrunadha and Natasha Tontey from Indonesia; Derek Tumala and Kiri Dalena from the Philippines; and I-na Phuyuthanon and Prapat Jiwarangsan from Thailand.

Domestically, ten exhibition planners including Kwon Taehyun, an independent planner, Kim Jeongyeon, Moon Han-al, Moon Heeyoung, Park Jihyung, Lee Seolhee, Lee Seunga, Lee Hyeonjong, Im Jong-eun, and Jang Jintaek will participate. Also, three media artists?Ryu Seongsil, who won the 2021 Herm?s Art Award, Yeom Ji-hye, and Cha Jaemin?will engage in exchanges with overseas participants.

Lee Daehyung, the artistic director in charge of planning this event, stated, “Currently, the world is facing new social issues such as signs of a divisive new Cold War and Asia hate crimes triggered by the global pandemic.” He emphasized, “To overcome common human crises from the global spread of COVID-19 to environmental problems, cross-border collaboration is necessary.”

Park Jeongryeol, head of the Overseas Culture and Public Relations Office, said, “We hope that this event will enable Asian artists who share similar concerns and empathy to communicate and collaborate with each other.” He added, “The Overseas Culture and Public Relations Office will continue to strive to bring together key figures in the global art world through this project to expand cultural exchange.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.