is a media wall that can be made together by artists and citizens to expand the sphere of public art. The exhibition of media art consisting of colorful lights and sounds presents the past through to the future of the Gwanghwamun.
This special exhibition consists of three exhibitions: Seeing the Gwanghwamun, which focuses on the past of the square; Walking around the Gwanghwamun that captures the present of the square; and Knowing the Gwanghwamun to show the future of the square. Each exhibition shows works presented by the artists who were chosen according to its themes. The exhibition also includes the works created by emerging artists who won prizes at an open art contest, as well as interactive content produced via participation of art-loving citizens. The first exhibition, Seeing the Gwanghwamun, which is presented as the prologue of the special exhibition, provides interpretations of the historical meaning and spatial value of the Gwanghwamun Square.
Media Art @ Haechi Lounge is presented every day from 10 AM to 10 PM.
Special Exhibition for Main Artists
Special Exhibition for Main Artists is participated by two artists, Seo Jung-won and Choi Chan-sook, who have been dedicated to pure art and Korean themes. Of the two artists, Seo Jung-won’s works are created by reinterpreting different fields and genres from the viewpoint of modern art based on media art. Meanwhile, Choi Chan-sook, an artist based in Berlin who is active both in Korea and overseas, mainly works with large video installation and sound works focused on human migration and community. The works reflecting the unique viewpoints of these two artists present modern, philosophical interpretations about the meaning of the Gwanghwamun Square, which are expected to provide viewers an opportunity to have a new aesthetic experience.
The Crowd in the Square is a work redefining the spatial meaning of “square” with respect to the citizens living in the modern society. The work compresses the changes occurred to the Gwanghwamun Square, and expresses the spatial meaning of the future of the square metaphorically through the movement of crowds. The artist depicted anonymity rising out of individualism of the modern society and the paradox of collectivity through the repeated action of “movement.”
Gwanghwamun Notation Digital Animation is a media façade in which the artist converts the location of the Gwanghwamun Square (its latitude and longitude values) to numbers using the algorithm of 64 trigrams which interpreted the fundamental principle of human beings statistically, and uses the patterns deduced from it to create a visual effect for a place. The artist created works of media façade for the Humboldt Forum in Berlin and Seoul Square by converting the location value of each building to a dyadic system. The result was then applied to the algorithm of the 64 trigrams to get patterns or images related with the location or the building concerned. The work of media façade to be created at the Gwanghwamun Square will be designed to show a passage that flows slowly to face the landscape of Gwanghwamun, mesmerizing the viewers sitting on the stairs at the opposite side. The tempo of the flow corresponding to the speed of gentle footsteps and the harmony between colors and signs will be nicely combined with the seven trigrams deduced from the past statistics, providing viewers with an opportunity to rediscover the significance of the place they are in.
Art Contest for Emerging Artists
Art Contest for Emerging Artists is the exhibition of works made by up-and-coming artists who had their own interpretations of the past, locality and historic significance of the Gwanghwamun Square. A total of five artists were selected from the contest — artists Kim Ji-yun, Kim Ji-hyeon, Kim Hye-gyeong, Ahn Tae-yeong, and Choe Jong-yeol. Through this exhibition, viewers can experience a wide range of viewpoints these artists have towards the Gwanghwamun Square.
The name, Gwanghwamun, refers to “the gate guiding people to an auspicious direction by shedding the light on the whole world.” The light not only remains in the name carved on the gate’s name plaque but in the hearts of all the viewers. A march of people inhabiting a beautiful star. The house of rising lights means the lights in the hearts of all people. This work of art cheers all the citizens who work hard day by day and return home with night air, praising them as beautiful stars that shed light to all corners of the world.
Gwanghwamun has continued to change along the passage of time. It is a place where past, present and future of Korea coexist with people at its center. The artist created the character, Byulha, to represent all of us visiting Gwanghwamun, hoping that this place will remain an open space for people and communication, attracting all kinds of people and encouraging them interact with one other. Byulha is a character that represents people traveling around this planet called Earth with a variety of aspects that form us. Each of us is a microcosm owning our own beauty that shines bright. Byulha was born to “accept and love myself as who I am” and to shine like a star.
Media ‘Delight’: Heavenly Paradise is a work displaying the ever-changing four seasons of the royal palace and the beauty created by the gates and the wall enclosing the palace. It guides viewers to the aesthetic experience our ancestors had through the intercourse with the energy of Mother Nature. Built in accordance with the Neo-Confucian virtue of austerity, the royal palaces of Joseon were comparatively small and simple but contain in them a variety of symbolic signs connected with the values of Korean culture and tradition, marked by bountifulness and auspiciousness. The values of Korean culture and tradition are recreated by digital media to be delivered to the world.
The area around the Gwanghwamun Square is full of historic significance, symbolizing communication, peace, and resistance of Korean people for the last several hundred years. The artist intends to express the rich cultural and historical meaning with water drops in three different colors. Of the five cardinal colors, yellow has been traditionally regarded as the noblest of all colors symbolizing the center of the universe and the king while blue symbolizes the creation of the universe, and white truth, life, purity and people. The artist of this work uses the traditional patterns to express the style of knowledge and wisdom created by time and space through the flow of time until it reaches the present. From the days where the flowers bloomed to the days of dark and night, the work expresses Gwanghwamun in three waves with three different colors.
What did Gwanghwamun look like when Joseon was enjoying the most prosperous and peaceful days? It was the question that led to the creation of this work. A royal parade of King Jeongjo is widely regarded as one of the most luxurious and festive royal events of the Joseon Dynasty. The fully bloomed flowers with people having fun with each other create a dreamy atmosphere. It is a work designed to deliver a message of hope for the future and peace and warmth to the people spending cold winter.
"Humanity Awakens"
Interactive Content refers to content designed to offer the citizens visiting the Gwanghwamun Square an opportunity to participate in the process of completing a work of art and have an artistic experience. Citizens can send their own drawing, painting or photograph to the media wall via scanning the QR codes on it. Participants are also given an opportunity to view the Moment of Gwanghwa where they can post their own pictures and Gwanghwa Aquarium where they can draw their own fish.
This work presents valuable moments citizens of Seoul face in the space of their city. Try to recollect your most precious moment, and ruminate over the meaning of our stories that make the history of Seoul. This work can be posted using the photos taken through QR code on the screen.
This work is highly regarded for the artist’s creative imagination with which Seoul, the global megacity where over ten million people have their home, is compared with the sea. The work captures the citizens living in the deep and wide ocean in their own way as a real-time interactive media content. Visitors can participate in the media art making their own fish, using the QR code on the screen.