An Open Museum Where Art, Literature, and Life Flow to Be Established in Guri

Guri City Finalizes Detailed Operational Strategies for Guri City Museum Construction
Vision for City Museum Embodying the Artistic Spirit of Achiuul and Historical Identity of Donggureung
Facility Plan Revised to "One Basement and Two Above-Ground Floors" for Enhanced Exhibition Openness

Guri City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Baek Kyunghyeon) held the "6th Guri City Museum Construction Advisory Committee" on November 4 in the situation room on the third floor of the city hall main building, where detailed operational strategies and future directions for the construction of the Guri City Museum were discussed.

Guri City held the "6th Guri City Museum Construction Advisory Committee" on the 4th at the situation room on the 3rd floor of the city hall main building. Provided by Guri City

This meeting also served as the final report session for the "Research Service on Detailed Operational Plans for the Guri City Museum." It was organized to share the research achievements to date and to seek practical operational measures to enhance the completeness of the museum's construction.

Experts from various fields, including art, architecture, and cultural policy, participated as advisory members. They engaged in in-depth discussions on a wide range of topics, such as the museum's direction and differentiation strategies, exhibition and educational program operations, collection acquisition and utilization plans, and space composition and facility planning.

Guri City presented its vision to develop the city museum as an "open museum where art, literature, and life flow together." This vision signifies an expansion beyond a simple exhibition facility into a complex cultural space that integrates art and humanities, science and play.

According to the results of this research service, while maintaining the total area of 4,500 square meters as outlined in the original construction plan, the facility plan has been revised to change the building structure from one basement floor and three above-ground floors to one basement floor and two above-ground floors. This adjustment aims to increase the ceiling height and enhance the sense of openness in the exhibition environment.

Through these changes, the city plans to create a complex, emotionally engaging exhibition space that combines not only painting, sculpture, and installation art, but also elements of literature, narrative, video, and interactive experiences. The goal is to develop a participatory museum where visitors can experience both artistic immersion and literary sentiment, moving beyond a space simply for viewing artworks.

Additionally, Guri City intends to establish a culture-based operational model that combines citizen-participatory programs with public art content, aiming to create a humanities-oriented museum where citizens can contemplate and linger within art.

This advisory committee meeting served to concretize the identity and vision for the museum that were proposed at the academic forum "Museums Opening the Future," held in September.

Guri City plans to integrate the artistic sensibility of Achiuul Village in Gyomun-dong, the birthplace of local art, with the historical identity of Donggureung, creating a "Guri-style museum" that will serve as an open cultural gateway and an art playground embedded in citizens’ daily lives.

Achiuul Village is known as a place where leading figures in Korean literature and art-such as novelist Park Wansuh, painter Ha Indoo, painter Kim Jeomseon, and historian Lee Eihwa-interacted and shared creative inspiration. Their artistic spirit is set to be inherited as a symbol of the Guri City Museum’s sensibility and local identity.

Furthermore, the city plans to reinterpret the serene spatial beauty and traditional aesthetics of Donggureung, a UNESCO World Heritage site, through modern architectural design elements, establishing an open art space where contemplation, relaxation, daily life, and art coexist.

Um Jinseop, Deputy Mayor of Guri City, stated, "The Guri City Museum should not be just an exhibition space, but an open cultural foundation where citizens and artists can communicate and grow together. We will actively reflect the diverse opinions presented at today’s advisory committee in the museum construction project to complete a symbolic museum that embodies Guri’s cultural value and future vision."