ARKO Hosts Cultural Exchange with African Artists: "Art Bridge: Dialogue with Africa"

The Korea Arts & Culture Committee (ARKO) announced on October 21 that it successfully held the "Art Bridge: Dialogue with Africa" event on October 20 at the Lounge of the Artist House in Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, as part of its international exchange networking program.

Art Bridge is a new initiative aimed at fostering long-term dialogue, empathy, and creative solidarity through art. Going beyond simple cultural exchange, the event was designed as a venue where curators, artists, platforms, and journalists could share their visions, experiences, and creative strategies, while exploring new possibilities for collaboration.

Jung Byungguk, Chairman of the Korea Arts & Culture Committee (fourth from the right), and participants of "Art Bridge: Dialogue with Africa" are taking a commemorative photo.
Photo by Korea Arts & Culture Committee

This event consisted of a roundtable and networking session, highlighting the distinct art ecosystems of Korea and African countries. Participants shared insights on art, curation, and institutional development within their respective regional contexts, and discussed the potential for artistic solidarity between Africa and Korea at the intersection of their practices and discourses.

The roundtable panel included Azu Nwagbogu, founder and director of the African Artists Foundation and Lagos Photo Festival in Nigeria; Brendan Bell-Roberts, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Art Africa magazine in South Africa; Doris Tapadzwakamupira, assistant curator at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe; and Byun Ji-hye, associate research fellow at the Korea Culture & Tourism Institute. Suzette Bell-Roberts, co-founder and editor of Art Africa magazine in South Africa, served as the moderator and led the discussion.

Jung Byungguk, Chairman of ARKO, stated, "I hope this dialogue will serve as a meaningful first step in opening up exchanges between Africa and Korea, which have long been barren ground for cultural and artistic cooperation." He added, "ARKO will continue to expand artist-centered exchanges with Africa and develop international platforms that enable artists to connect and collaborate."