ACC Opens New "Exhibition Hall 7" as a Space for Local Artists

Expanding Support for Creation and Exhibition by Gwangju and Jeonnam Artists
Lee Jungki's First Solo Exhibition, "Translated Virtuality"

The Asia Culture Center (ACC) has newly opened "Exhibition Hall 7" to showcase the flat paintings of local artists, and will present the inaugural exhibition of its artist recruitment program "2026 ACC NEWST" starting from March 26.

Lee Junggi, 'Equivalence of Objects'. The artist was selected for the 2026 ACC Newsto and is holding his first solo exhibition this time. Photo by ACC

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's Asia Culture Center announced that, along with the opening of Exhibition Hall 7, it will host "Translated Virtuality," the first exhibition of "2026 ACC NEWST" by artist Lee Jungki, for one month starting from March 26.

Exhibition Hall 7 is a new space established by the ACC to provide a stable environment for the creation and exhibition of works by artists from the Gwangju and Jeonnam regions. Unlike the existing composite Exhibition Halls 1 through 6, this hall is designed specifically for flat paintings. It is equipped with facilities such as temperature and humidity control and lighting to ensure optimal preservation and exhibition conditions for artworks.

This exhibition marks the inaugural event in Exhibition Hall 7 and features 17 works by Lee Jungki, who was selected through the "2026 ACC NEWST" open call. The exhibition introduces paintings, three-dimensional works, and installations, focusing on themes such as "The Contemporary," "Landscape of Objects," "Artifacts of the Era," and "Possibility of Crisis."

The ACC explained that this exhibition serves as a platform where the artist's personal experiences and emotions regarding history and contemporary society are expressed through the language of visual art. The artist reconstructs memories and scenes from reality into images of "translated virtuality" by intertwining the temporality of the past, present, and future.

"ACC NEWST" is a portmanteau of "New" and "Artist," and is a program that offers exhibition opportunities to artists selected through an open call. In November of last year, the ACC held a call for artists primarily active in the Gwangju and Jeonnam regions, ultimately selecting four teams (five artists): Lee Jungki, Seo Younggi, Yang Nahi, and the duo Lim Soobum and Ha Seungwan. Their exhibitions are scheduled to be held sequentially from March to August.

Sangwook Kim, Director of the Asia Culture Center, stated, "Exhibition Hall 7 is a space created for flat painting artists active in the Gwangju and Jeonnam regions to present their diverse artistic worlds and engage with the public. Through the 'ACC NEWST' exhibitions, we will continue to provide new opportunities for creators to showcase their work and offer audiences programs to experience contemporary art."

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