Visit to the Creative Space for Disabled Artists 'Amazing Outsider Art Center'
Recognizing the Value of Disabled Art... Operation of 2024 Disability Awareness Week from 2nd to 6th
Fostering a Social Atmosphere of Mutual Understanding Between Disabled and Non-Disabled People
On the 1st, ahead of World Disability Day on the 3rd, Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon visited the ‘Amazing Outsider Art Center’ located in Yangpyeong-gun to spend time communicating with 11 ‘outsider’ artists engaged in artistic activities.
Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon is communicating with disabled artists at the 'Amazing Outsider Art Center' in Yangpyeong-gun on the 1st. Photo by Gyeonggi Province
The Amazing Outsider Art Center is a space where 11 developmentally disabled artists, including Jung Eun-hye, who is famous for her role in the drama ‘Our Blues,’ as well as Kim Na-yeon, Park Jong-seon, Park Ji-seon, Seon Na-yeon, Yoon Tae-young, Lee Chan-woo, Jang Jin-young, Jung Yeon-jae, Pi Joo-heon, and Lim Woo-jin, gather to create and exhibit their works. Outsider Art refers to works created by those who have not received formal art education, and all the artists residing at the art center are adults without formal art training.
Governor Kim Dong-yeon said, “My dream is to create a world where we live together with all of you. I have a firm belief that everyone must be respected for the sustainability of our society,” adding, “Whether others know or not, when I served and contributed to society, at first it was out of a sense of duty or norm, but as I continued, I realized how much it matured me and how much it helped our society to sustain itself, and I sincerely think about that.”
Governor Kim continued, “This week is Disability Empathy Week. And on Tuesday, Korea’s first provincial disabled orchestra will be established,” making three spontaneous promises.
Governor Kim said, “First, we will hold a separate exhibition in Gyeonggi Province at the best time. Second, among the gifts given to foreign guests or people I meet overseas, I will purchase some paintings by developmentally disabled artists to give as gifts. Third, I will look for ways to support the operation of such centers,” emphasizing, “In disability policies, rather than being charitable, Gyeonggi Province will take the lead and do its best to make our society sustainable.”
The artists also expressed their welcome for Governor Kim’s visit, and Jung Eun-hye, the artist of ‘Ni Eolgul’ (Your Face), surprised him by personally presenting a painting of the governor’s face as a gift. Governor Kim expressed his gratitude, saying, “This is the best gift I have ever received.”
Governor Kim Dong-yeon had previously visited the Gyeonggi Province memorial altar for developmentally and severely disabled victims twice in May and June 2022, when he was a candidate and after being elected, respectively, promising to prepare measures to prevent tragic incidents such as the extreme choices of families of developmentally disabled persons from recurring. Since then, the 8th Gyeonggi Province administration has been implementing innovative and practical policies for the disabled, such as the Disabled Nuri Account, Disabled Opportunity Income, and the operation of the Gyeonggi Province AI (Artificial Intelligence) Creative Group for developmentally disabled persons.
Governor Kim is also known to actively use works by developmentally disabled artists by purchasing them to hang in his office and using them during overseas business trips. Whenever he meets politicians or famous foreign businesspeople, he gives works by developmentally disabled artists as gifts and explains the meaning of the works and the artists, which receives very positive responses.
In fact, during his visit to the United States in May, Governor Kim gifted a painting by a developmentally disabled artist (Red-crowned Crane) to Jay Inslee, Governor of Washington State, saying, “I am actively introducing the value of disabled art to many people. The value of disabled people’s art and labor must be recognized.”
Gyeonggi Province announced in its basic plan for disability policy this year that it will invest 2.9215 trillion won over five years to provide customized support for the independence of disabled persons.
Meanwhile, Gyeonggi Province will operate the 2024 Disability Empathy Week from the 2nd to the 6th. The 2024 Disability Empathy Week was planned to coincide with the UN World Disability Day (December 3). The program includes △ December 2: A Very Ordinary Day of Gyeonggi Residents with Disabilities (#Aboha) △ December 3: Screening of disability rights films △ December 4: Disability Rights Lecture ‘A Very Ordinary Day Discourse of Disabled Persons’ △ December 5: Human Rights Forum hosted by the Southern Gyeonggi Disability Rights Advocacy Agency. Additionally, from December 2 to 6, a 30-minute lunchtime performance by disabled artists and an exhibition of selected works from the 2024 Nuri Art & Work will be held in the first-floor lobby of the Gyeonggi Provincial Government building. From December 2 to 4, an AI technology promotion booth to assist in improving accessibility for disabled persons will also be operated.
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