By Park Hye Ri
Photos = Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
Korean media arts are being displayed at the center of Tokyo, Japan, and Hanoi, Vietnam, to promote Korea.
The Korean Culture and Information Service (KOCIS), an affiliate of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, on Dec. 1 said it will screen around the clock Korean media art content at the Korean Cultural Center (KCC) in Tokyo and that in Hanoi to promote Korea's attractions and bilateral cultural exchange.
Massive and high-definition LED screens installed on the outer walls of the two KCCs will display 25 vibrant pieces of artistic media content. The KCC in Hanoi's screen is shaped like the Hangeul letter ㄱ for a more powerful experience of visual immersion.
KOCIS is using realistic and attractive Korean cultural content incorporating cutting-edge technology to promote Korean technology and culture in the host city. This project's purpose is to boost the role of KCCs as bases to spread Hallyu (Korean Wave).
The 25 pieces of media art content at both KCCs introduce Korean cultural and tourism resources and emphasize brisk bilateral exchange through the display of leading tourist attractions and traditional items in Korea and the host country.
A video of Korean cultural and tourism resources shows images of landscapes filmed by drones and computer graphics featuring the image of Gyeongbokgung Palace in the heart of Seoul and taekwondo movements that display a harmony of softness and strength.
Other attention-grabbing content includes works depicting the coexistence of cultures through greetings in the form of typography and neon signs in both Korean and the language of the KCC's host country.
For this project, Korean media artists active in Japan and Vietnam such as Kim Hye-kyung, Jo Se-min and Kim Jae-wook produced an array of media art works to add meaning to this friendly exchange.
"Rather than unilaterally introducing Korean culture to Japan, I stressed 'meeting' and 'communication' between the two countries and expressed my hope for resumption of bilateral cultural exchange, which had died down due to the COVID-19 pandemic," Jo said.
He also emphasized close communication between the two countries through a character based on the folk cultures of both nations and a cat, which is a beloved pet in Japan.
Kim took part in producing content for the KCC in Hanoi. "I included on the right and left sides of the screen the main tourist attractions of Vietnam and Korea and expressed in the middle the ocean, which symbolizes an 'exchange site,' and a boat floating on it. I wanted to show the connection between the two countries, which have different cultures and environments."
KOCIS said, "These screenings of media art content at Korean Cultural Centers abroad is an opportunity to evoke new interest in Korea among locals and boost the appeal of Korean culture," adding, "We hope that bilateral communication and exchange can continue."
