Elevating the City's Status as a Cultural Hub
with Art Exhibitions, Concerts, Performances, and More
The 'Daejeon Midnight Festival,' which is helping to quell the sweltering heat, is invigorating Daejeon's old downtown with music, performances, exhibitions, and concerts, thoroughly quenching the cultural thirst that citizens have long been unable to satisfy.
Especially at night, the festival is filled with waves of young people, heightening the festive atmosphere.
Various cultural exhibitions open in line with the festival period, and dozens of different performances take place each day as part of the Midnight Festival program. As a result, the festival is fulfilling its positive role of satisfying the cultural needs of all generations.
Now in its third year, the Daejeon Midnight Festival has placed a greater emphasis on cultural content than in previous years. The word-of-mouth popularity of the festival has attracted many talented artists, but the anticipation surrounding the open spaces-where anywhere in the expansive festival grounds can become one's own stage-has also contributed to the high level of satisfaction among attendees.
Vacant shops in the underground shopping mall have been transformed into exhibition spaces for painters and video artists, while the underground passages have become stages for enchanting ensemble performances. Small theaters throughout the old downtown host daily performances featuring the stories of youth.
On the sixth day of the Midnight Festival, the Daejeon City Arts Troupe also delivered a remarkable performance.
On the opening day, August 8, the Daejeon Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of Artistic Director Kyung Ja, gave a high-caliber performance that kicked off the festival. The collaboration with violinist Danny Koo added to the romantic atmosphere of the summer night, earning high praise.
On August 12, the Daejeon Art Choir, composed of local vocalists aged 39 and under, held the Midnight Choir Festival at Urideul Park. The a cappella vocal group Sweet Sorrow joined as guest performers, adding harmony to the voices of the young singers.
On August 14, bandoneon player Ko Sangji performed with the Daejeon Art Choir at Heredium.
Meanwhile, major special exhibitions are also underway.
Since August 9, the exhibition titled "Rainbow Ring: Towards Spectrum Thinking" has been held at Art Site Soje. The exhibition is expected to showcase artists' efforts to break away from the boundaries of artistic genres and conventional exhibition formats.
On August 13, the Daejeon Literature Museum opened a special exhibition commemorating the 100th anniversary of poet Park Yongrae's birth. Known as the "poet of tears," Park spent his literary career in Daejeon, and the exhibition offers a meaningful opportunity to trace his life and literary connections.
At 7 p.m. on August 14, "A Night of Park Yongrae's Literature Concert" was held in the concourse of Oryong Station on Subway Line 1. Professor Ko Hyungjin of Korea University, who authored Park Yongrae's biography, poetry collections, and complete works of prose, attended alongside poet Shin Namyoung, who has set Park's poetry to music, creating a night of remembrance for the poet.
On August 15 and 16, at the cultural space Heredium, Daejeon's own flutist Choi Nayoung will be appointed as Daejeon's honorary ambassador and will also give a special performance.
A Daejeon city official stated, "Not only are there major themed performances, but even the Time Travel Parade alone is a comprehensive gift, allowing people to experience traditional, contemporary, and world cultures. We hope that the vibrant energy of the old downtown, which once thrived through culture and is being revitalized by the Midnight Festival, will continue to flourish."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
