"Civil Forum on Demolition and Preservation of 'Geomeun Bi'... Will the Conflict Be Resolved?"

Artwork 'Black Rain' Commemorating 5·18 Victims

Demolition Unavoidable During Old Jeonnam Provincial Office Restoration Project

As part of the 2018 May 18 Democratic Movement commemoration event, a citizen forum was held to discuss whether to preserve or dismantle the artwork "Black Rain," which carries the meaning of mourning the victims of the May 18 incident.

On the 28th at 3 p.m., Gwangju Metropolitan City held a forum titled "What to do with the artwork Black Rain?" at the 4th floor Citizen Maru of the Jeonil Building in Geumnam-ro, Dong-gu, attended by artists, Gwangju city officials, organizations, and citizens.

The forum was moderated by Lee Ki-hoon, Executive Director of the Honam Foundation for Regional Cultural Exchange, with presentations by artist Joo Hong and Hong Sung-chil, Executive Committee Member of the Citizens’ Countermeasure Committee for the Restoration of the Old Jeonnam Provincial Office.

Participants in the discussion included Korean painting artist Ha Sung-heup, video artist Jo Kyung-ok, Lee Ki-bong, Secretary General of the May 18 Memorial Foundation, and Heo Dal-yong, former president of the Korean Federation of Artistic and Cultural Organizations.

At the 'What to Do About Black Rain' discussion held on the afternoon of the 28th on the 4th floor of Jeonil Building, Dong-gu, Gwangju, writer Ju Hong is presenting.
[Photo by Min Hyun-gi]

On the day, artist Joo, who gave a presentation, argued that the Asia Culture Center, the managing party, should reopen the Sangmugwan Hall so that citizens can directly face and judge the Black Rain artwork.

Joo said, "The masterpiece to be passed down to future generations is at risk of being destroyed under the pretext of restoration work," adding, "The soul-infused work, dedicated to citizens by the artist without any compensation, is being treated like a discarded item by applying only legal standards. I hope the wise collective intelligence of Gwangju citizens will protect Black Rain."

Opposition views were also expressed, based not on the value and artistry of Black Rain but on private property and public promises and trust. Sangmugwan Hall is a shared space managed by a national institution, and as private property, it should be operated through reasonable procedures and agreements that fit its character and identity.

Furthermore, Hong, the committee member, argued that as long as the original form of Sangmugwan exists, the history, traces, and the spirit and essence embedded within it will not disappear.

Hong stated, "The Sangmugwan project was realized through a public-interest system involving an event committee of over 130 organizations, Gwangju City, and the Asia Culture Center, guaranteeing procedures, agreements, and promise fulfillment according to regulations," adding, "Since there is a customary agreement and implementation agreement that the exhibition items will be retrieved or dismantled after the exhibition ends, dismantling must be carried out according to the agreement."

Additionally, the city extended the exhibition period of Black Rain until the end of the Biennale after the Sangmugwan project exhibition ended in July 2018 but the artwork remained. In November of the same year, the May 18 People's Uprising Event Committee requested an extension of the artwork's storage period until May 2019 under the matter of "Guarantee and extension related to the exhibition work."

Jung Young-chang, the artist who created Black Rain, also submitted a "Memorandum of Implementation" to the Director of the National Asia Culture Center and the Director of the Asia Culture Institute, stating that he would immediately comply if the temporary preservation period expired or if the National Asia Culture Center requested relocation for business purposes.

In response, in 2020, the National Asia Culture Center requested Gwangju City to take follow-up measures regarding the installation and exhibition items at Sangmugwan to prepare for the restoration construction of the old Jeonnam Provincial Office. However, the May 18 People's Uprising Memorial Event Committee reviewed that it would be beneficial for mourners to have the exhibition during the 40th anniversary of the May 18 Democratic Movement and requested cooperation for the exhibition. Since then, the restoration construction of the old Jeonnam Provincial Office has been postponed, and with artist Jung residing in Germany, the Black Rain artwork remains stored at Sangmugwan.

The problem is that the announced dismantling deadline has passed by more than two months, and urgent measures such as relocating the artwork to a private art museum are needed, but there is a lack of time. The Old Jeonnam Provincial Office Restoration Promotion Team began the restoration project around the old Jeonnam Provincial Office area last December with a total budget of 46.6 billion KRW, and restoration construction is expected to start from March.

Jung Seok-ho (71), who came to Gwangju after hearing about the forum in Damyang, said, "I remember being deeply impressed when I saw the artwork Black Rain several years ago. Since Sangmugwan holds particularly deep symbolic meaning in the Gwangju region, I hope the artwork is preserved, but I also understand that the restoration project of the old Jeonnam Provincial Office is an important issue, so difficulties are inevitable," adding, "I hope the administrative authorities make an appropriate and wise decision."

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