The 'Hangang Spacing Out Contest' to be Held Next Month on the 4th After 3 Years

Recruiting 50 Teams Until the 28th

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Hangang Spacing Out Contest is being held again after three years.

On the 22nd, the Seoul Hangang Project Headquarters announced that the '2022 Hangang Spacing Out Contest' will be held on the Hangang Jamsugyo Bridge on the 4th of next month. The Hangang Project Headquarters, recognizing that the Hangang River, loved as a resting place for citizens, is the most suitable location for the act of spacing out, is hosting the contest in collaboration with the contest founder ‘Uppsuyang’, marking the 5th edition this year.

The Hangang Spacing Out Contest was started to erase the misconception in today's fast-paced society that doing nothing means falling behind or being worthless. It is a contemporary art performance that awards the person who spaces out the best to show that doing nothing is also a valuable act.

The contest begins in earnest after enjoying the opening performance conducted by artist Uppsuyang and warming up the body with simple stretching exercises. Participants must maintain a spaced-out state without any actions or thoughts for 90 minutes. During the contest, participants cannot speak, so they use colored cards to indicate their needs and receive desired services. If a participant fails to space out, they receive a ‘disqualification card’ and are escorted out of the venue.

The winner is selected by evaluating both the ‘heart rate’ and ‘on-site citizen votes’. Scores are given based on the participant's heart rate graph measured every 15 minutes by the organizers, combined with the votes from citizens watching the contest on-site to determine the final 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places.

This year marks the 5th contest, which will be held every Sunday until the end of October on the Jamsugyo Bridge, which operates as a pedestrian bridge. Fifty teams will be recruited, with up to three members per team. The application period is until the 28th, and registration is available through the Spacing Out Contest website and SNS.

Meanwhile, to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the number of participating teams has been reduced from 70 to 50. The event will be conducted in compliance with quarantine rules such as mandatory mask-wearing and social distancing among participants. Yoon Jong-jang, head of the Seoul Hangang Project Headquarters, said, “We hope that by emptying your mind at the Hangang Jamsugyo Bridge, you can momentarily shake off the stress and depression caused by COVID-19 and daily life.” He added, “We will continue to develop Hangang Park into a unique space where various cultures and relaxation can be enjoyed.”

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