홍대로 고고씽 ㅋ [홍대아트디자인페스티벌]

Hongdae finally runs big-scale art fest

 

Visitors look around an exhibition hosted by the department of woodworking and furniture design at the festival [2009 Hongik Art Design Festival]

If "Hongdae" only means an area full of clubs and cafes to you, there are 10 days left for you to find out what the place is really all about.

"Hongdae" is actually short for "Hongik Daehagyo," or "Hongik University," which is famous for its renowned art school. Most of Korea's top-notch artists have graduated from there.

Ironically, the university has never had its own art museum nor hosted any art festivals of its own until now.

But now university has launched "2009 Hongik Art Design Festival," in which about 3,000 of its students, graduate students, alumni and professors are participating.

The exhibitions, conferences and fashion shows which each art major used to hold separately have been running simultaneously since Monday. Both inside and outside the Hongik Campus -- from the nearby park to the subway station -- is humming with artists, viewers and attractions.

"It is the biggest festival the university is holding since its art major opened in 1949. It will be an opportunity to look back how Hongik Art has contributed to Korean contemporary art during the past 60 years, and also to gear up for the world stage," said Choi Byung-hoon, Dean of College of Fine Arts in Hongik University.

On the campus, 11 exhibitions are underway, including the one at Hongik Museum of Art. It is the first exhibition for the museum, also known as HOMA, which opened on Monday. It is situated on the second floor of the Hongmungwan building.

The exhibition features about 700 works by 400 alumni and former and present professors such as Hong Seok-chang and Lee Du-sik. Most of the works are specially priced around 1 million won (about $850) during the festival

Outside the campus, about 200 students are holding a street exhibition named "Wow Flask B" until Saturday. Their experimental works -- as the word "flask" signifies in the exhibition's title -- sprawled out on the streets near Hongik University will hopefully help passer-bys enjoy the art and communicate with it.

Five more video showings are scheduled at the Hongmungwan building and two fashion shows are coming up this weekend at the university's pool.

The university will also hold an "Open Studio" event on the weekend where middle and high school students who wants to enter the university's art school can consult professors about the majors they can take.

"2009 Hongik Art Design Festival" runs through Oct. 25 in and around the university campus. For more information, call (02) 320-1202.

(claire@heraldm.com)

By Park Min-young