Exploring the Boundaries of Industry, Art, Memory, and Reflection at an Abandoned Factory... Dongil Rubber Belt's 80th Anniversary Exhibition

Han Wonseok Solo Exhibition
"Boundary of Perception: Thought in the Black Hole"

The solo exhibition "Boundary of Perception: Thought in the Black Hole" by installation artist Han Wonseok will be held at the Dongrae Factory of Dongil Rubber Belt in Busan from October 17 to November 16, 2025.

This exhibition has been organized to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Dongil Rubber Belt's founding, and aims to shed new artistic light on the history of Busan's industry since Korea's liberation.

The Dongrae Factory, where the exhibition will take place, is the historical starting point of Dongil Rubber Belt, which was established in September 1945. Amid the turbulent times following the liberation and through the Korean War, Dongil Rubber Belt pioneered the domestic production of rubber belts for the first time in Korea, laying the foundation for the country’s industrialization.

After the company expanded its facilities and relocated to Geumsa-dong in 1980, the Dongrae Factory ceased operations. However, it still retains the traces and textures of time as an industrial heritage site from Busan’s era of industrialization.

The centerpiece of the exhibition is a large-scale installation composed of 111 discarded paper tubes. Each tube acts as a "resonance chamber," recreating the rough breaths and sounds of the industrial era.

In particular, the built-in speakers only respond when visitors approach within a certain distance, encouraging interactive engagement. In addition, an immersive experience using augmented reality (AR) technology will be presented, making it appear as if a real black hole exists on the floor. Through this, visitors will be able to explore the meaning of "perception" anew at the boundary between reality and fantasy.

This exhibition is the largest multidisciplinary art support project in Korea selected by the Arts Council Korea (ARKO). Centered around installation art, it is a comprehensive art project that combines various genres including music and performance. The exhibition offers visitors a profound moment of reflection, traversing the boundaries between industry and art, past and present, silence and sound, and reality and illusion.

Han Wonseok, who was born in Busan, is a globally renowned contemporary artist who works between Korea and London. He is well known for collecting discarded materials and transforming them into art.

His representative work, "Hyeongyeon" (2008), is a recreation of the Sacred Bell of King Seongdeok (Emille Bell) made from 3,650 discarded speakers. It is on permanent display at the "Wondangji" park near the North Gyeongsang Provincial Government Complex. This piece was also introduced as a representative work of Korean culture and art at the welcoming banquet for the APEC High-Level Dialogue on Cultural Industry in August. Han is also the featured artist for "Hwanyeong," the commemorative sculpture for the 2025 Gyeongju APEC summit.

Han Wonseok stated, "The black hole is both a confession and a proposal," adding, "I hope that within the resonance of this space, your sense of lack will meet mine. I wish that this resonance will become a sound that soothes the wounds of us all," conveying the meaning of the exhibition.

This exhibition is an attempt to transform industrial heritage into a space for art and culture, and is expected to play a significant role in expanding Busan’s urban cultural ecosystem. Admission is free, and the exhibition will be closed every Monday.

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