Sehwa Media Art Project was initiated by the discovery of archives containing various materials from Ilju Art House in the early 2000s. This exhibition marks a starting point to resume support for media artists currently active or poised to emerge in the field. At this new beginning, we aim to reflect on the history of media art in Korea through lectures while also exploring the critical importance of archives in the realm of media art.

Ilju Art House and Korean Media Art in the Early 2000s

• Date November 16, 2:30 PM
• Speaker Chaeyoung Lee, Chief Curator of Nam June Paik Art Center

Opened in October 2000 at the Heungkuk Life Building in Gwanghwamun, Ilju Art House was a unique media and film space of its time, combining exhibition halls, archives, studios, and a theater to facilitate creation, production, and presentation. Nearby, Art Center Nabi also opened its doors the same year. Amid the post-IMF economic downturn, these nonprofit spaces breathed new life into the Korean art scene by supporting artists using video and digital technologies. This lecture will delve into the aspirations of Ilju Art House as a media art center, its role in fostering artists, and the new production environments it established, offering a comprehensive view of its relationship with the Korean art world in the 2000s.

The Borderless Digital Archive – Why Korean Video Art?

• Date December 7, 2:30 PM
• Speaker Sera Jung, Founder & Director of The Stream

In media art, especially video art and moving images, the art form requires a time-based viewing experience that cannot be fully grasped through still images. This necessitates a new approach to archiving. The fate of an archive depends on how its knowledge and information are made accessible to users via interfaces. As we shift from a physical art object-centric perspective to a content-centric digital paradigm, the significance of digital online archives becomes increasingly evident. This lecture will examine the conceptual formats and appropriation methods of digital archives shaped by contemporary media and temporal contexts. It will also propose and share a map of active archives that transcend traditional physical archives.

Practical Information

• Participation is on a first-come, first-served basis based on application submission order.
• Light refreshments will be provided.
• For cancellations, please contact 02-2002-7785 or the number in your application confirmation message at least two days before the program.

Inquiries

02-2002-7785 (Weekdays, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM)