'Iksan Mireuksaji National Heritage Media Art'... Festival Preparations 'Smoothly'

'Light, Art, and National Heritage' Fusion Exhibition for One Month from September 6

'Exploring a Thousand Years of Light at Mireuksa'... Laser Show Utilizing National Heritage

The '2024 Iksan Mireuksaji National Heritage Media Art,' embodying 1,400 years of Baekje Mireuksa's artistic spirit, is set to adorn the autumn nights of Iksan with beautiful lights.

According to Iksan City in Jeonbuk on the 7th, this event will be held as a festival of lights around Mireuksaji from September 6 to October 6 for one month. The festival offers fresh attractions that provide audiences with new visual experiences. It is expected to offer an opportunity to deepen the understanding of cultural heritage.

This year's festival, under the theme "Mireuksaji, Exploring 1,400 Years of Secrets," connects the past and the present. Through the fusion of technology and art, it reexamines the value of Mireuksaji. The festival is jointly hosted and organized by Iksan City, the Cultural Heritage Administration, Jeonbuk Province, and the National Heritage Promotion Institute.

During the festival, Mireuksaji will transform into a vast media art exhibition hall. The highest level of domestic technology will be fully deployed. A distinctive feature of this year's festival is that it goes beyond the traditional performance-centered approach such as drone shows, presenting a spectacular media art laser show utilizing national heritage.

Jeonbuk 'Iksan Mireuksaji National Heritage Media Art'.
[Photo by Iksan City]

The core program, the laser art show, unfolds against the backdrop of the East and West Pagodas. A converged media facade installed between the two pagodas allows viewers to appreciate Baekje's splendid cultural heritage through contemporary art.

The 'Gangdangji,' the space showcasing media art for the first time this year, was historically used for Buddhist ceremonies such as Dharma assemblies. It is the best-preserved stone pedestal building from the Baekje period. To convey its historical significance in a modern way, LED media pillars that respond to sound will be installed here, implementing converged interactive content.

Various interactive sculptures will be installed throughout the approximately 60,000-pyeong Mireuksaji area, providing visitors with new attractions that satisfy visual enjoyment and the five senses.

Weekends, when tourists concentrate, will feature an even richer festival. A direct shuttle bus will operate between Iksan Station and Mireuksaji for visitors coming from outside the area.

A comprehensive art performance combining light, media art, percussion performance, and hip-hop will also be held on the converged media art stage. In addition, the festival grounds will be filled with nighttime scenery, media facades using the museum exterior walls, digital experience events, flea markets, and food trucks.

Deputy Director Bae Seok-hee of the Economic Tourism Bureau said, "This festival will hold the nation's first and largest national heritage laser show to enjoy history and culture together with light," adding, "We expect many visitors and have prepared ambitiously with great pride and expectations after a long period of effort."

Meanwhile, the World Heritage Media Art project is promoted by the Cultural Heritage Administration. It applies various media and digital technologies to world heritage sites. First implemented in 2021, it aims to make the universal value of world heritage more accessible to the public and to allow people to enjoy world heritage in new ways.

'Iksan Mireuksaji Media Art' has been held for three consecutive years since its initial selection in 2021. With a steady increase in visitors every year, it has established itself as Iksan's representative event in name and reality.