Naju Festival Offers Abundant Attractions and Entertainment Including Media Art Performances

Naju City in Jeollanam-do is set to host a fusion of traditional history and modern cultural technology with grand art and performance productions at the integrated festival, ‘2023 Naju Festival, Yeongsangang is Alive.’

According to the city on the 11th, the Naju Festival, under the subtitle ‘10 Days Spent at the Beautiful Yeongsangang,’ will be held for ten days from the 20th to the 29th at the Yeongsangang Riverside Sports Park area.

Media art performance by artist Sindowon, Uibyeongjang Kim Cheon-il.
[Photo by Naju City]

This festival is expected to attract attention as various unique cultural and artistic performances, typically seen at large complex cultural facilities such as the Seoul Arts Center and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, will be held every day without a break on the main festival stage for 10 days.

The city has selected ten core (killer) contents composed of historical and cultural art performances and is launching a large-scale promotional campaign.

After the opening ceremony of the eve event, starting at 6 p.m. on the 22nd, the Mahan Sodoj? performance will take place, followed by the parade and fireworks show from the previous day’s opening ceremony at 7 p.m., continuing for 30 minutes.

From 7:30 p.m., the highlight of the festival schedule, the ‘Yeongsangang Arirang Media Art Performance,’ will be presented on the main festival stage in two parts.

The first part opens with a sand art performance by artist Joo Hong, set to the festival’s original composition ‘Yeongsangang Arirang’ (composed by Seung Ji-na). Based on memories of Joo’s husband catching crabs in Yeongsangang during his childhood, the performance shows panoramic sand animation depicting the old scenery of the river.

Additionally, through a performance (dance) with master singer Jeong Jun-chang and others, a message of comfort and reconciliation is conveyed for the lives that have lived and will live in Yeongsangang.

The second part features a fusion performance by globally renowned media artist Shin Do-won, centered on General Kim Cheon-il, a militia leader during the Imjin War.

Kim Cheon-il (1537?1593) was a militia leader from Naju who, upon the outbreak of the Imjin War, initiated the first royalist militia at Geumseonggwan in Naju and marched northward, achieving numerous military successes.

Artist Shin personally designed an LED sculpture symbolizing Kim Cheon-il’s bravery and will present a new-concept media art performance on stage combining dance, DJing, and other elements.

On the following day, the 23rd at 7 p.m., a fashion show themed on ‘natural dyeing,’ a traditional Korean color technique native to Naju, will take over the main stage baton.

This fashion show aims to break the stereotype that natural dyeing is only enjoyed by enthusiasts and older generations, proposing casual everyday wear that the younger MZ generation can easily embrace.

The first part will showcase clothing targeting the MZ generation, and the second part will present over 80 natural dyeing garments, including artwear pieces by local Naju natural dyeing artists, on the runway.

Notably, top model Park Dul-seon, a world-renowned representative of Korea who dominated an era, is expected to grace the fashion show finale, raising expectations.

At 7 p.m. on the 24th, a medley of Korean traditional music (gugak) themed on Goryeo hyangga will be performed.

Kim San-ok, the first winner of the fusion gugak survival program ‘Joseon Pan Star’ on a general programming channel, and the creative gugak group ‘Dodri’ will collaborate to present a medley of four Goryeo hyangga songs.

The Goryeo hyangga, newly arranged for songs with lyrics only such as ‘Gasiri,’ ‘Ssanghwajeom,’ ‘Cheongsan Byeolgok,’ and ‘Seogyeong Byeolgok,’ will softly resonate along the Yeongsangang in Naju.

Nam Jeong-sook, the festival’s general director, said, “In Naju, which lacks large complex cultural art facilities like the Seoul Arts Center and the Asia Culture Center, the various performances showcased through this festival are expected to relieve citizens’ cultural thirst and provide an opportunity to enjoy culture and arts up close.”

Naju = Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Kim Yuk-bong baekok@asiae.co.kr

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