Gwangju City to Hold 'Art Street Festival' Every Saturday

From the 11th to October 30th, throughout Gungdong Art Street area

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Gwangju Metropolitan City announced on the 9th that it will hold the ‘Street of Arts Festival,’ mainly taking place at Gung-dong Art Street every Saturday from the 11th to October 30th.

Under the theme ‘VIVA Arts Road, 7 Art Gifts for You,’ this event is ready to welcome citizens with diverse and innovative programs following the full lifting of COVID-19 social distancing measures.

The festival will present seven programs over 20 weeks, starting with the opening ceremony: ▲ Traveling VIVA Art Performances ▲ VIVA New Art (NFT·Metaverse) ▲ VIVA Art Space ▲ Arts Picnic ▲ VIVA Art TV ▲ Live Commerce On & Off ▲ Media Creation Performance ‘Artificial Intelligence (AI) Ecology.’

First, at the opening ceremony held at 3 p.m. on the 11th in the yard in front of the Student Art Nuri Center, artists actively working both domestically and internationally will showcase dynamic live art pieces through performance art, jazz, and contemporary dance.

On the same day, under the theme ‘Infinite Dreams,’ works by six resident artists of Art Street will be exhibited at VIVA Art Space, and a road market displaying, selling, and offering hands-on experiences with crafts and antiques from resident merchants will be held, along with an ant market where general citizens can participate.

In the ‘Traveling VIVA Art Performances,’ aiming for boundaryless performances, jazz, contemporary dance, performance art, and collaborative performances will visit shops along Art Street.

‘VIVA New Art (NFT·Metaverse)’ will incorporate NFTs and the metaverse into Art Street, showcasing creations for the new normal era and supporting the online registration and sales process of NFT works. Visitors can enjoy and purchase artworks, providing a new experience in the art market.

‘VIVA Art Space’ is a continuously operating program during the festival, featuring exhibitions of collections from the Art Street Merchants Association, resident artists’ exhibitions, special invited artist exhibitions, international video art exhibitions, emerging artist invitations, and special food events with citizens.

The Art Street tour program ‘Arts Picnic,’ guided by Art Street merchants, offers exploration of Art Street, a road market selling specialized products, and art experiences available through prior reservation.

‘VIVA Art TV’ is broadcast on YouTube, providing information on all festival programs, festival planners, Art Street merchants, and resident artists, while highlighting Art Street through lively art discussions.

‘Live Commerce On & Off’ is a program that promotes and opens sales channels for works and collections by emerging young artists and merchants of Art Street.

Additionally, the media creation performance ‘Artificial Intelligence (AI) Ecology,’ linked with the 2022 Gwangju Media Art Festival, will present a creative performance combining experimental sound and contemporary dance using media art.

Kim Junyoung, Director of the City’s Culture, Tourism, and Sports Office, said, “The Street of Arts Festival is being held without social distancing restrictions for the first time in a long while,” adding, “Through diverse art and cultural performances, exhibitions, experiences, and sales events, we expect to comfort citizens whose spirits have been suppressed by COVID-19, relieve their artistic thirst, and invigorate the sales of local artworks.”

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