The Meeting of History and Art
The Yeongdeok Cultural Tourism Foundation in Gyeongbuk will hold a performance report meeting for the ‘Chuksan Port 100th Anniversary Treasure Ship Project,’ which has been underway since early this year, from December 3 to 5 in the large conference room on the 3rd floor of the Yeongdeok Northern Fisheries Cooperative.
As part of the Cultural Specialization Area Development Project, the ‘Chuksan Port 100th Anniversary Treasure Ship Project’ is a project that records and accumulates the past, present, and future of Chuksan Port, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, through the perspectives of newly discovered historical materials, artists, and local residents.
In this process, the project has been carried out since last year with the aim of reviving and inheriting the value of Chuksan Port, a leading fishing port on the East Coast and known as Cheonlimihang.
Under the title ‘Chuksan Port 100-Year Archive: Voyage of Memory & Bright Future of Chuksan Port Engraved in Art,’ this year’s event showcases public art works completed through collaboration between artists based in Chuksan Port and local youth and residents, as well as precious historical materials that allow visitors to infer the prosperous past of Chuksan Port all in one place.
First, in the ‘Chuksan Port 100-Year Archive: Voyage of Memory’ section, materials related to Chuksan Port discovered from the Official Gazette of the Governor-General of Korea, newspapers during the Japanese colonial period, and monographs will be exhibited for the first time.
The materials uncovered through this project reveal in detail the status of the fisheries industry in Chuksan before the Japanese colonial period, the activities of the fisheries cooperative, and fisheries policies during the Japanese colonial era, allowing visitors to vividly grasp the status and appearance of Chuksan Port at that time. Additionally, the project identified key figures related to the construction of major infrastructure such as the port, providing a multifaceted view of Chuksan Port’s development into a modern harbor. These materials will be compiled into a book after the exhibition to preserve the history of Chuksan Port.
In the ‘Chuksan Port 100-Year Archive: Bright Future of Chuksan Port Engraved in Art’ section, 25 works resulting from collaboration between local youth and artists will be exhibited. Children from Chuksan Port Elementary School painted aspects of Chuksan Port they are proud of on tiles, while students from Chuksan Middle School observed every corner of Chuksan Port through magnifying glasses and expressed the most memorable images through drawings.
Contemporary artist Yang Jaju, who participated in this project, stayed in Chuksan Port to gain inspiration and completed works using materials sourced locally. The exhibition features paintings made by mixing Yeongdeok soil with paint and installation works using seafood from Chuksan as objects.
Sound artist Ha Ku Seungho, who also resides in Chuksan-myeon, collected sounds of the harbor, coast, and fields during day and night and across seasons, and recorded them with ultra-high-resolution photography. At the exhibition site, landscape photos of Chuksan Port are projected via a beam projector, and the corresponding audio can be listened to. After the event, the vivid sound recordings of Chuksan Port will be installed as metal artworks throughout the harbor, allowing visitors to listen to the on-site audio via QR codes.
Yang Jaju and Ha Ku Seungho also listened to the stories of elders in Chuksan Port. They met three long-time residents, visited their most cherished memory spots, recorded their stories, and captured photos of the sites and residents. These will also be shown on large screens at the exhibition.
A representative from the Yeongdeok Cultural Tourism Foundation said, “We hope this performance report meeting will be more than a simple exhibition, serving as a place to view the region’s history, culture, and future blueprint through art,” and expressed gratitude, saying, “Every resident who lovingly participated in this project was a thread connecting the past, present, and future of Chuksan Port.” They emphasized, “We hope many people will come to rediscover Chuksan Port so that its past and present are not forgotten and its future can shine.”
The ‘Chuksan Port 100th Anniversary Treasure Ship Project’ performance report meeting will be held until the 5th on the 3rd floor of the Yeongdeok Northern Fisheries Cooperative in Chuksan-myeon. For more details, please visit the Yeongdeok Cultural Tourism Foundation website.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
