Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture to Hold Seminar on "The Future of Citizen-Led Urban Culture in the Age of Technology"

May 22 at Seoul Arts and Culture Education Center, Yongsan
Exploring Directions for Arts and Culture Education in the Age of AI

The Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture announced on May 12 that it will hold the 'Seoul Arts and Culture Education 3.0 Kickoff' seminar, titled 'The Future of Citizen-Led Urban Culture in the Age of Technology,' at the Seoul Arts and Culture Education Center in Yongsan at 2 p.m. on May 22. The seminar aims to set the direction for citizen culture policies.

This seminar is designed to share domestic and international examples of convergence-based art participation and arts education that combine artificial intelligence (AI) with art, cities, and culture. It also aims to concretize future discourse on 'Seoul Arts and Culture Education 3.0,' which will form the foundation of the 3rd Basic Plan for Arts and Culture Education in Seoul. In particular, it will address fundamental questions about how humans should think and exist in an era where technology has become a part of daily life, from the perspective of arts education and citizen culture policy.

In the first session, Kim Haebo, Director of the Citizen Culture Division at the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, will give a presentation on 'Questions Toward Seoul Arts and Culture Education 3.0.' This will be followed by Araf Ahmadali, Director of the Amsterdam Department of Culture, who will introduce Amsterdam’s cultural policy that remains unchanged even in a technological environment. Nynke Kors, Policy Development Advisor at the Amsterdam Fund for the Arts (AFK) in the Netherlands, will share specific cases of 'Citizen-Led Arts Education in the AI Era.' Lastly, the Seoul AI Foundation will present its strategies for making Seoul an attractive city in the digital age, concluding the policy discussions.

The second session will feature Mei Shimada, CCBT Program Director at the Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture, who will discuss 'The Imagination Demanded by the City,' explaining how citizens’ critical and creative thinking is transforming cities in the technology era. This will be followed by Choi Doyo, Senior Researcher at the Art and Technology Center of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), who will introduce practical cases of expanding human creative potential through the integration of art and technology. In particular, through a presentation of the center’s flagship project, 'Cine Forest: Awakening Bloom,' the session will specifically address how digital technology awakens artistic sensibilities and preserves humanity.

Finally, under the moderation of Dr. Baek Sunhye from the Seoul Institute, a comprehensive discussion will be held with presenters and experts. The discussion will address how art can preserve humanity in an era of technological omnipotence and explore policy directions to help each citizen live as a creative being.

The foundation plans to continue operating master classes and seminars on discourse in arts and culture education in collaboration with specialized institutions such as the KAIST Art and Technology Center. It also aims to establish a foundation for artists to develop both technological capabilities and humanistic insight, and, through collaboration with the Seoul AI Foundation, will promote professional training for artists and cultural foundation practitioners in each district. Efforts will also be made to connect policy discussions to field practice, such as running arts education programs for digitally marginalized groups. The outcomes derived from these efforts will be shared with citizens through a year-end outcome-sharing forum, and the research records will be published as a book to strengthen the policy foundation for 'Seoul Arts and Culture Education 3.0.'

Song Hyungjong, CEO of the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, stated, "This seminar will be an opportunity to redefine the value of human existence through art and to consider the direction we should take in an environment where AI technology is accelerating. I hope that Seoul Arts and Culture Education 3.0, created together with domestic and international experts, will serve as a milestone that awakens citizens’ thinking and creativity."

This seminar will be held for approximately 100 participants, including arts and culture education professionals, experts, and citizens. Participation is free, and detailed information, including how to apply, can be found on the official website of the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture and on the official Instagram account of the foundation’s Citizen Arts Policy Team.

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