"Gwanghwamun Square Turns into a Club Every Weekend"… Sejong Summer Festival 'Groove'

Opening on August 11, First Outdoor Event in 4 Years
5 Outdoor Performances Including Makchum, Disco, DJ Party, Opera
ChatGPT-Suggested Theme 'Groove'
"Providing Artistic Experiences to Citizens in the Off-Season"

On hot summer nights, Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square transforms into an artistic space where DJ parties, opera, and freestyle dancing come together.

Participants of Sejong Summer Festival
[Photo by Sejong Center for the Performing Arts]

Sejong Center for the Performing Arts announced at a press conference on the 31st that it will hold an outdoor festival, the 'Sejong Summer Festival,' at Gwanghwamun Square Playground from August 11 to September 9.

This festival is the first outdoor event held by Sejong Center since 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. The theme of the festival is 'Groove,' which was decided by asking the generative AI ChatGPT.

At the press conference, Ahn Ho-sang, president of Sejong Center, said, "We have passed through a long tunnel of COVID-19 over the past three years, and a square has been established in front of Sejong Center. The role of art is expanding after COVID-19, and the role given to Sejong Center is also changing."

He continued, "Since the creation of Seoul Plaza, the role of squares has diversified. They are used as reading yards, water play areas, and sometimes for gatherings. We plan to turn this Gwanghwamun Square into a club."

The performances consist of five pieces, featuring An Eun-mi Company, Ambiguous Dance Company, Seoul City Opera, along with famous DJs such as DJ Koo and Bagaji by Vex13, and pre-selected citizen artists who will enliven the stage with dance, music, and opera full of excitement and rhythm.

The seating capacity is 800 to 900 people. The audience will be filled with 60% pre-registered attendees and 40% on-site registrants, and all performances are free. The outdoor stage and seating will be transformed into a massive club, captivating the audience.

The festival opens on August 11-12 with An Eun-mi Company’s 'Dance Dedicated to Ancestors.' This is a representative work led by An Eun-mi, a modern dancer and choreographer, and it is the first time it will be performed outdoors.

Eunmi An, CEO of Eunmi An Company, is holding a press conference for the '2023 Sejong Summer Festival' on the 31st at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts Open Stage in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Sejong Center for the Performing Arts

An Eun-mi said, "In this performance, about 20 elderly people will take the stage, learning only the order with the dancers to present 'natural dance.' Since the climax of the performance is many audience members coming on stage to dance together, I hope it becomes a club where three generations?from the elderly to children and mothers?can play together."

On August 18, the Disco Experience 'Narattmal??mi Resonates with Pungak' will be held, and on the 19th, DJ Koo (Koo Jun-yeop), Bagaji by Vex13, J.E.B, and ZB will present the 'Gwang.Nol' stage. They plan to rekindle the enthusiasm that citizens showed at Gwanghwamun Square during the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup through a DJ party.

On August 25, a unique performance where attendees wear padded jackets in midsummer will take place.

Ambiguous Dance Company will present a new creative work, 'Club Ambiguous Dance Company,' with the dress code set as 'padded jackets.' About 80 citizens will be recruited to participate in workshops and then join the performance.

Kim Boram, Artistic Director of Ambiguous Dance Company, is holding a press conference for the '2023 Sejong Summer Festival' on the 31st at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts Open Stage in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Sejong Center for the Performing Arts

Kim Bo-ram, artistic director of Ambiguous Dance Company, who attended the press conference wearing a padded jumper on a day when a heatwave warning was issued in Seoul, said, "If you can't escape the heat, you should enjoy it. We chose padded jackets as the dress code with the idea of playing hard. We will do our best to relieve stress."

On September 8-9, Seoul City Opera will fill Gwanghwamun Square with 'Carmen.' The famous opera 'Carmen' will be condensed into 70 minutes, featuring performances with fire and aerial acrobatics that are hard to see in indoor theaters.

Notably, about 120 citizens who were pre-selected will go through rehearsals and workshops to join the choir and dance troupe on stage, drawing attention.

Park Hye-jin, director of Seoul City Opera, said, "I wanted to break the perception that opera is boring and dull and show that it is a comprehensive art form. It will be like a circus show with fire shows where flames come out of the mouth, something you usually can't see in opera."

She added, "Besides the performance hall, we will prepare cushions and other amenities so that people who come with strollers or bring their pets can comfortably enjoy the performance."

Ahn Ho-sang, president of Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, is holding a press conference for the '2023 Sejong Summer Festival' on the 31st at the Sejong Center Open Stage in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Sejong Center for the Performing Arts

Ahn Ho-sang, president of Sejong Center, said, "The demand for art has changed after COVID-19, and cultural and artistic institutions worldwide are adapting their programs to the changed environment. We want to conduct a small experiment with this changed environment through the square."

He continued, "In particular, this festival aims to provide a stage for artists whose activities were restricted due to COVID-19 to help revitalize creation, and to open the space free of charge to citizens so that they can meet, communicate, and exchange through art."

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