Naju Yeongsangang International Installation Art Festival Praised as a 'New Attempt to Revitalize Art Tours'

'Flow, Ten Elasticities' Theme Features 15 Artists from 4 Countries

Modern Works Installed at 10 Sites of Regional Symbolic Historical and Cultural Resources

Naju City in Jeollanam-do concluded the ‘Yeongsangang International Installation Art Festival 2023,’ which debuted this year, receiving praise as a new attempt to revitalize art tours.

According to Naju City on the 10th, the Yeongsangang International Installation Art Festival 2023 opened on October 19 and welcomed visitors until November 30.

The works 'Meeting' and 'I Love You' by artist Kim Kyung-min installed in front of Geumseonggwan in Naju.
[Photo by Naju City]

Under the theme “Flow, Ten Elasticities,” 15 artists from four countries active in various fields such as sculpture, installation, and media art participated.

By installing contemporary works at 10 historical and cultural resources symbolizing the regional characteristics of Naju, it created a unique scene where the artistic value blended with the meaning of the spaces.

It was praised as an opportunity to appreciate contemporary artworks of various genres while re-examining the historical sites where the works were installed. It also received positive feedback for demonstrating the cultural policy vision of Naju City’s 8th mayoral term by providing local residents with a chance to appreciate contemporary art from a new perspective.

In particular, from the perspective of connecting the region’s various scattered historical and cultural resources into a single line through art works, it showed how cultural and artistic value can be returned to social value, gaining a good response among experts from cultural institutions and organizations.

During the exhibition period, staff from two project teams of the Jeonnam Cultural Foundation, Gwangju Museum of Art, Jeonnam Provincial Museum of Art, Jeju Provincial Museum of Art, and cultural artists from across the country visited the installation art festival site.

On November 16, a cultural delegation including the Director of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam visited, and on the 21st, about 100 employees of the Gwangju Cultural Foundation also visited.

Hwang Poong-nyeon, CEO of the Gwangju Cultural Foundation, said, “I hope the foundation’s staff understand and learn the process of weaving various cultural elements of the region through culture and art and incorporating humanistic discourse.”

Jang Hyun-woo, head of Naju City’s Culture and Arts Special Planning Team, stated, “Despite difficult conditions, this installation art festival suggested the role and potential of culture and art to contribute to the local community. Tourists faced Naju’s history and meaning through contemporary art, and residents had an opportunity for an art tour encountering unfamiliar art through familiar places.”

Naju = Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Kim Yuk-bong yjm3070@asiae.co.kr

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