Gwangyang City and Jeollanam-do Cultural Foundation Join Hands for Media Art-Based Cultural and Artistic Cooperation

Gwangyang City, South Jeolla Province, announced that on January 19, it signed a memorandum of understanding with the Jeollanam-do Cultural Foundation for cultural and artistic cooperation based on media art at the meeting room of Gwangyang City Hall.

The signing ceremony was attended by Kim Eunyoung, CEO of the Jeollanam-do Cultural Foundation, along with officials from both organizations.

The agreement was established to strengthen the region's cultural and artistic competitiveness and to create a sustainable media art ecosystem, as Gwangyang City and the Jeollanam-do Cultural Foundation, having declared their ambition to become a creative city of culture and arts through the Gwangyang International Media Art Festival, build a system of mutual cooperation.

On the 19th, Gwangyang City signed a memorandum of understanding with the Jeollanam-do Cultural Foundation for cultural and artistic cooperation based on media art at the meeting room of Gwangyang City Hall. Provided by Gwangyang City

Under the agreement, the two organizations will collaborate on policies and programs to promote local culture, arts, and media art; support the creation, production, and discovery of media art content; establish a foundation for discovering and fostering media art talent unique to Jeollanam-do; promote and exchange exhibitions, events, and programs; and jointly pursue other initiatives to vitalize the cultural and artistic sector.

The festival is being prepared with the goal of being held in October. It will be operated as a participatory media art event that connects cultural spaces in both the city center and the old downtown, as well as outdoor venues, offering both exhibitions and hands-on experiences. The plan is to gradually expand the scope to include media art exhibitions that combine digital technology and art, citizen participation programs, and nighttime content.

In particular, based on this agreement, Gwangyang City plans to establish a virtuous cycle of creation, education, and exchange centered on media art, and to continuously expand a cultural and artistic platform in which local artists and citizens participate together. The Jeollanam-do Cultural Foundation also intends to use this cooperation with Gwangyang City to develop a Jeollanam-do-style media art win-win cooperation model and to strengthen cultural exchange and networks between regions.

An official from Gwangyang City stated, "This agreement marks a meaningful starting point for Gwangyang, as it moves beyond being an industrial city to become a creative city of culture and arts," adding, "Through today's agreement, we will do our utmost to link the extensive network of the Jeollanam-do Cultural Foundation with the Gwangyang International Media Art Festival, so that Gwangyang can become a leading media art city not only in Korea but also in Asia."

Kim Eunyoung, CEO of the Jeollanam-do Cultural Foundation, said, "This agreement is a starting point for cooperation so that media art can become a new growth engine for local culture and arts, based on the potential confirmed through the Gwangyang International Media Art Festival," and added, "We will actively cooperate in nurturing talent, linking programs, and providing policy support so that Gwangyang City can establish itself as a leading media art hub in Jeollanam-do."

Meanwhile, both organizations plan to gradually promote various collaborative projects, such as exhibitions linked to media art, creative support projects, and networking programs, following this agreement. These efforts are expected to contribute to attracting more tourists and revitalizing the local commercial district by expanding stay-type tourism.