Media Art × Sewoon Sangga, Reinterpreting Sewoon Sangga That Led the Media Technology Market in the 1960s

Photo provided by Cheonggyecheon Museum

The third exhibition of Made in Cheonggyecheon, planned by the Cheonggyecheon Museum, titled 'Media Art × Sewoon Sangga,' aims to tell the story of the unexpected achievements made when artisans (匠人) of Sewoon and Cheonggyecheon shopping districts meet art. Since the 1960s, there has been rapid technological growth, often called the 'era of speed.' Sewoon Sangga, built during this period, was a symbolic place that led the media technology market, and it was also in the 1960s that Nam June Paik applied technology to realize art.

Media art, which lies at the intersection of technology and art, has naturally progressed alongside technological advancements. The special exhibition 'Media Art × Sewoon Sangga' focuses on the unique point where the most special creations, found nowhere else in the world, are possible?the meeting of art and technology at Sewoon Sangga.

Although redevelopment is underway around Sewoon Sangga, this area has long been a very special region where numerous shops are organically connected, forming a self-sustaining manufacturing ecosystem.

It has played a significant role in forming South Korea's media technology markets such as computer industry, gaming, and video, and even today, as urban manufacturing gains global attention, it remains a space where technology, culture, and art harmoniously coexist.

Artist Yu-jin Jeon of Seoul Express said, "Many experimental artworks and ideas have been completed as media art pieces through Sewoon Sangga, Cheonggyecheon, and Euljiro," adding that the works presented in this exhibition can also be experienced through documentary videos of that process.

Photo provided by Ulan Cultural Foundation

Meanwhile, recently, young artists and makers who recognize the historical value and potential of the Sewoon Sangga area have begun to gather one by one. Seoul Express is also located in Makers Cube, a startup space within the Sewoon Collaboration Support Center that pursues growth linked to urban manufacturing in this area, under the name Seoul Express Technology Lab.

The artist said, "For teams doing media art, Sewoon Sangga is truly an attractive place. Media art is thought of as an activity that discovers and creates new things by combining and connecting various media, and in this area, all people and technologies are connected."

He continued, "When working on media art projects, there are many occasions to make machines or devices, and there is no area more suitable for such production than Sewoon Sangga," adding, "You can find many materials here, from motors, springs, and bearings to acrylic and metal processing, and you can even have them processed as needed, so I received a lot of help from the technicians in this area."

Recently, young artists and creators continue to gather. It is also a place leading the 'Hipjiro' cultural trend, where retro and newtro coexist, spearheaded by the famous 'Horangi' caf?. Although redevelopment is ongoing on both sides of Sewoon Sangga, we must not forget the essence of this area.

The essence of this area is a manufacturing ecosystem accumulated over decades; it is a creative building where everything is connected and collaboration takes place, and it is a space preserving that value. One should not judge its value merely by the shabby appearance of the neighborhood. Here, in this place, Sewoon Sangga, there are people, technology, and art.