[Asia Economy Reporter Seomideum] The National Theater Company will hold a forum titled "Theater in the Age of Science and Technology" every Monday throughout November at the JCC Art Center Concert Hall in Daehangno. In modern society, where science and technology are easily accessible even in the arts, this forum was planned to research and discuss with creators how theater views these changes in the world and what it should do. The forum consists of presentations and discussions by experts such as Jaeseung Jeong (Professor of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at KAIST), Youngjun Lee (Machine Critic, Professor at Kaywon School of Art and Design), and six creators interested in the field. Text interpretation for the hearing impaired will be provided for all sessions.
The first session on November 7 will feature lectures under the theme "Art & Science and Technology." Professor Jaeseung Jeong of KAIST will present "Reflecting on Theater in the Metaverse Space," and machine critic Youngjun Lee will speak on "Machines and Art." These lectures will be produced as barrier-free videos with sign language interpretation and Korean subtitles and will later be freely available on the National Theater Company's YouTube channel.
The second session on November 14, under the theme "Theater & Science and Technology," will explore the fields of robotics and gaming. Yunsul Eom (Kinetic Artist, Robot Designer) will present cases of collaboration with artists as a robot designer, and Youngjin Oh (Cultural Critic, Game Planner) will share work cases including "Erangel: Dark Tour" and "Unfinished Voyage."
The third session on November 21, also themed "Theater & Science and Technology," will focus on the sound field and share other research results. Bailey Hong (Sound Artist) will present immersive sound work cases based on research, and Yurim Jo (Producer of the National Theater Company’s Production Development Team) will present research on collaboration cases between theater and science and technology.
The final session on November 28 will examine the SF (science fiction) field within "Theater & Science and Technology." Inchul Jeon (Director) and Sunhyeo Heo (Playwright) will discuss "Science and Technology, and the Work Stories of Theater Creators Interested in SF." Moderator Kanghee Jeon (Committee Member of ‘Creative Sympathy: Directing’) will participate. After the discussion, Kanghee Jeon will introduce the 2023 National Theater Company’s ‘Creative Sympathy: Directing’ project direction and hold a Q&A session.
The forum is free to attend, and anyone wishing to participate can apply from October 27 via the link provided in the announcements on the National Theater Company’s website. Seating is non-designated and limited to the first 150 applicants. Registration reserves all four forum sessions simultaneously.
Kwangbo Kim, Artistic Director of the National Theater Company, expressed, “The National Theater Company’s ‘Creative Sympathy: Directing’ has addressed major contemporary issues through creative play development, with themes such as ‘Disability and Art’ in 2021, ‘Climate Crisis and Art’ in 2022, and now ‘Science and Technology and Art’ in 2023. We hope this month-long forum will provide useful information and inspiration to creators interested in this theme and offer theater audiences an opportunity to gauge how the two fields of ‘science and technology’ and ‘art’ can combine, pointing toward the direction of contemporary theater.”
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
