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Koganecho x Seoul. Bringing life to the city through the power of art

黄金町×ソウル。アートの力で街ににぎわいを

The artist-in-residence promotion project carried out by Kanagawa Prefecture allows domestic and foreign artists to stay in the prefecture for a certain period of time, utilize local cultural resources to disseminate culture and art, and not only promote culture and art but also contribute to the local community. This is an effort to create a lively atmosphere. In 2019, the art exhibition ``The Narrative in Their Eyes'' being held at Site-A Gallery, a studio under an elevated railway in Koganecho, Naka-ku, Yokohama, has been selected.
I went to Koganecho to experience the stories told by seven Seoul-based artists.

The Koganemachi area was once lined with illegal adult entertainment establishments. Efforts are underway to create a creative and distinctive ``neighborhood'' through art in order to never return to the past.

Yoo Sung-joon , who is also the originator of this project, is a Korean film director who participated in the Koganecho Artist-in-Residence Program in 2015-2016, and is also an artist who creates works using a variety of methods. After returning to Japan, while producing video works, he has also been focusing on an exchange program between up-and-coming artists active in Seoul and Koganecho.

“Participating in the Koganecho residency was the biggest learning experience for me in my life. Not only was I inspired by the director and my colleagues, but I also enjoyed walking to the sea while thinking. I did research for my work in Noge.Kanagawa Prefecture is a very stimulating place for artists, as it is close to mountains, rivers, and the ocean, and is also rich in cultural facilities such as art museums.I returned to Seoul and worked in my hometown. I would like to share my experience here with my fellow artists and continue to interact with Koganecho."

The exhibition is divided into two main parts: ``light'' and ``dark.'' This is ``Ming'', which makes use of white walls. The works of Seoul artists gathered through Yoo Sung Joon 's connections in Korea are on display.

Another central character is Ahn Jong-hyun . After studying photography at university, in parallel with his own creative activities, he runs Space 55, a gallery located in an old sewing factory in downtown Seoul.

“I came to Japan for the first time because I heard that there is a place where artists can express themselves freely.The exhibition environment is different from Korea, so the works on display are newly created after I came to preview them in March. This is what I created.The reactions from the customers at the gallery will be different from those in Seoul, so I'm really looking forward to it.''

This is the "dark" exhibition space. The building, which has a history of once being an illegal sex shop, has been deliberately preserved and is now being used as a gallery. When you enter the first floor, you will see Yoo Sung Joon 's video work being shown, and when you turn around you will see paintings by other artists who appeared in the video. The audience progresses to the mezzanine and second floors, following the movements of Yoo Sung-joon 's mind and his relationships with the artists.

"As the title of the exhibition (the Narrative in Their Eyes) suggests, everything is connected. I hope that can be conveyed." ( Yoo Sung-joon )
On display at the top of the stairs to the second floor are pigment print photographs of Ahn Jeong-hyun . This photo was taken of the old city of Seoul, most of which has been demolished and is said to no longer exist.

“Compared to South Korea, I feel that time passes more slowly in Japan.Japan regenerates its cities while preserving old buildings, but in South Korea, old buildings are demolished, so the land is History also disappears. In Koganecho, I feel that by intersecting the city and art, we can slowly look back on the history of the land." ( Ahn Jeong-hyun )

"Koganecho has a dark and heavy history, but for artists, this can be a source of inspiration for their creations. Here, I learned once again that art has the power to revitalize a city." ( Yoo Sung-joon )

We spoke to Junya Utsumi, a curator at the Koganecho Area Management Center.

``The characteristic of Koganecho's 'residency' is that artists and the local community are involved over a long period of time, and what is created from this is exhibited. It's a plan.
After this, in July, we will hold an exhibition of Koganecho artists at Space 55 in Seoul. I want to connect the power of art to urban development, without making the exchange between artists a temporary thing."


the Narrative in their Eyes
2019 International Exchange Project “Golden Mind 55”
A story woven by seven Seoul-based artists

[Venue] Underpass Studio Site-A Gallery, Hachibankan
[Duration] Currently being held until Sunday, June 16, 2019
[Time] 11:00-18:30 *Closed on Mondays
free entrance

■Participating artists
Yoo Sung Jun Yoo Sung Jun
An Jong Hyun
Hong Hak SoonHong Hak Soon
Lee In Kyun Lee In Kyun
Bang Eun Kyum
Park Hyo Bin Park Hyo Bin
Yoo Jae Yoo Jae Yoon

 

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