1980 May Play 'The Man Who Paints Time' to Debut in Japan and UK

Poster of a person painting time.

The Asia Culture Center Foundation (President Kim Sunok, hereinafter referred to as 'the Foundation') announced on the 10th that it will distribute the Asia Culture Center's (hereinafter referred to as 'the Center') representative play, "The Man Who Paints Time," in Seoul, the United Kingdom, Japan, and other locations.

Premiered in 2018, the play "The Man Who Paints Time" tells the story of May 1980 in Gwangju, focusing on a family connected to the Jeonnam Provincial Government building, the final stronghold of the May 18 Democratic Uprising. The play garnered attention during its debut for installing a "moving audience seating" that took advantage of Theater 1, the Center's variable theater space.

Originally created for indoor theaters, "The Man Who Paints Time" was re-produced in 2022 for outdoor theaters and toured nationwide, including stops in Miryang and Jinju in Gyeongnam Province. Last year, a spin-off production of the original play was performed for an extended run in Seoul, demonstrating its limitless potential for expansion.

"The Man Who Paints Time" began its official distribution by participating in the Seoul Creative Theater Center Opening Festival from the 3rd to the 5th, and will also take part in the Gangbuk 4.19 Theater Festival held at the Gangbuk Culture and Arts Center until the 11th.

This year, the play will also be showcased on international stages in the United Kingdom and Japan, marking the start of overseas distribution. Notably, it has been selected as part of the "Korea Season" at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in the UK, where it will be performed 24 times throughout August at the Assembly Theater. In September, it will meet international audiences at the BeSeTo Theater Festival in Japan.

Kim Sunok, President of the Asia Culture Center Foundation, stated, "I am very pleased that 'The Man Who Paints Time,' the representative performance of the Asia Culture Center, can meet audiences both at home and abroad," adding, "We will continue to revitalize our distribution business to introduce various forms of performances featuring Korean and Asian culture to the world."