"Gonggyeong" Special Exhibition at the Rural Filial Piety Theme Park
Featuring Seven Artists and the Interactive "Hyo BTI" Program
A closed elementary school in rural North Gyeongsang Province has been reborn as a cultural platform centered on the value of filial piety. The old classrooms have been transformed into exhibition halls, and the schoolyard has been turned into an extended-stay space, launching a new cultural experiment that connects generations and communities.
Uiseong County is holding a themed special exhibition on filial piety titled "Gonggyeong Exhibition" on the second floor "Hyori Space" of the Uiseong Rural Filial Piety Theme Park until March 10. As the first themed exhibition to commemorate the park's opening, it reinterprets the traditional value of "Gonggyeong" (reverence and respect) through the artistic language of our time.
Seven artists working in photography, installation, and video are participating, each presenting their own perspective on attitudes toward family, neighbors, and the community. An interactive program called "Hyo BTI" is also being offered, allowing visitors to discover their own filial piety tendencies and adding an element of participation and fun. The exhibition also weaves in local folktales about filial piety handed down in the Danmil-myeon area, preserving the unique cultural context of the region.
This space was created by remodeling the former Danmil Elementary School, which had been closed. It is a representative case of converting an idle facility into cultural infrastructure, and there are plans to expand it into a multi-complex cultural space that combines tourism, relaxation, and culture by adding extended-stay facilities such as a campground.
Jinyoung Park, CEO of Uiseong Culturesa, which operates the venue, said, "I hope this exhibition will be an opportunity to reflect on the meaning of relationships."
Uiseong County Mayor Kim Jusu stated, "We expect it to grow into a cultural hub that connects generations and regions and to become a distinctive brand unique to Uiseong."
The exhibition is open from Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
The word "filial piety" may be old, but its message is very much ongoing. Uiseong's attempt to explore the essence of relationships through art suggests another direction for local cultural policy. The power to revive a space, to give it stories, and to bring people together... its starting point is this small, closed-down elementary school.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
