2024-07-08 01:47:14
Aphaedo ‘Graffiti Island’
As part of the Shinan County ‘1 Province 1 Museum’ project… Large artwork on the walls of houses and town offices
County “Establish 26 art galleries on 15 islands… Promote culture and arts to attract population”
Gormley-Eliason installation exhibition… “We need to have our own cultural ecosystem”
“I never had the opportunity to go to art galleries with my parents. Instead, I discovered art on the street, and that’s how I became an artist. Seeing art in public places changed my life.”
At a press conference on the 5th, American graffiti artist John Won said, “I’m looking forward to seeing how my work will look in Sinan, where there is nature and leisure, rather than in the busy city.” Along with him, Spanish artist Dirk and Portuguese artist Bills are participating in the ‘Graffiti Island’ project in Aphae-do, Sinan-gun, Jeollanam-do. Dirk unveiled graffiti depicting animals from the Sinan tidal flats, such as crabs and spoonbills, on the wall of the Aphae-eup office on that day, and John Won began working on the walls of local public rental housing on the 6th.
● Gomley and Turrell participate in ‘1 Degree 1 Museum’
‘Graffiti Island’ is part of the ‘1 Island 1 Museum’ project promoted by Sinan County. Sinan County has 1,025 islands (76 inhabited islands, 959 uninhabited islands), and 26 art galleries will be built on 15 islands. 15 have either utilized old art galleries or have completed construction, and 11 are in progress. Aphaedo is the gateway to Sinan’s many islands from the mainland, and the idea is to install graffiti here that anyone can see.
‘1 Degree 1 Museum’ will feature renowned international artists such as Antony Gormley, James Turrell, and Olafur Eliasson. Turrell will present his installation work on Nodaedo Island, and Eliasson will present his installation work on the outdoor space of the museum on Dochodo Island.
According to Shinan County, Eliasson’s work consists of digging a semicircular hole into the ground and filling the bottom with about 1,100 light-reflecting sculptures, which create different reflections on the ground depending on the sunlight. Eliasson became popular for his works utilizing science and technology, and the most famous of these is the artificial sun displayed at Tate Modern in England.
Gomri’s work will be installed on the beach of Bigeumdo Island. He is well known for his work of placing sculptures that simplify the human form in outdoor spaces, and the work to be installed on Bigeumdo Island will be the largest in Asia, measuring 110m in width, 25m in height, and 35m in depth.
Among the completed projects, the Seo Yong-seon Art Museum in Amtaedo attracts attention. The artist studied the Amtaedo tenant movement against pro-Japanese landlords during the Japanese colonial period and drew the results on the walls of an old Nonghyup warehouse. The exhibition here attracted attention from the art world and led to a follow-up exhibition at the Cultural Reserve Base in Mapo-gu, Seoul.
● A decisive move in areas at risk of population extinction
There is a reason why Shinan County is actively attracting various works of art. As of March of this year, Shinan County has a population of 38,191, with 40% being elderly, making it a high-risk area for population extinction. Its financial independence ranks 221st out of 226 local governments nationwide (2023). Shinan County Governor Park Woo-ryang said, “We chose a path that others have not taken to overcome the poor conditions,” and explained, “We also need to have pride in being able to enjoy culture and art on an island.”
The idea is to increase the influx of the younger generation and create new food by activating tourism through art. However, in order to go beyond the level of a local tourist destination, it is necessary to not only install works by famous overseas artists, but also make efforts to establish an independent cultural ecosystem with a long-term perspective.
“You can see better works by foreign artists in Europe, but good Korean works can only be seen here,” said Seungmi Lee, head of Haengchon Cultural Foundation, who was in charge of the “Amtaedo Tenancy Dispute Project.” “We also need strategies to revitalize the Korean and regional art worlds, such as establishing artist residencies and exhibiting works that reflect the local context.”
Shinan = Reporter Kim Min [email protected]
2024-07-08 01:47:14