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Cultural Catalyst

Jung-oe Cultural Archive, 

2013

 

Special Mention 

 

at 49th Jeonlanam-do Grand Art Exihition

Architecture section

Individual work

Advisors  Hyo-won Lee

 

                

 

 

 

ISSUE 1

 Competitiveness of a city that dreams to be a capital of culture may be determined by a landmark or iconic buildings, however, it may also be determined by the city’s history, traditions and by interesting stories that are buried underneath. The competitiveness of a city that dreams to be at the center of culture and the city becoming a capital of culture is not a concept of relative superiority due to advanced development. However, developing unique characteristics and changing the attitude and maintaining this characteristic may provide a solution for a city’s survival.


ISSUE 2

 All provincial cities that dream of a being a city of culture hosts international art events such as expos, biennales and etc, but limited support facilities and infrastructures causes these areas to be useless and neglected after the events are over. Art pieces by artists that are not returned are trashed because they cannot be stored. This situation shows the regression of the hidden side of splendid events.

 

 

  The Korean society derogates the value of records that are not visually stimulating or not impressive to the general public.
  Because of this, minor artworks in provincial areas have not been kept through a systematic collection, preservation and management method.  This is due to apathy against the art and the absence of a system. Through new programs to preserve artworks, artworks should not be isolated for personal use, but regain the interest of the public as a social object. Art can be expected to act as a catalyst for revitalizing the region’s cultural values by seeking new ways to create a new culture.

  Do various cultural facilities and artworks represent richness of cultural elements?  The power of culture is generated through the process of creating new art from changing and fusing the history that has been accumulated. However, existing cultural facilities do not have a developed networking infrastructure that correlates with each facility showing disparity. The domestic and foreign park needs infrastructure and archive that will network the facilities!

   Gwangju is one of the cities that desire to be a cultural city representative in Korea.  ACC is expected to open the facility that having Asian culture resources to surpass current major culture industry which is based on Western history and culture.  However, it is doubtful that this new facility can be settled successfully to make Gwangju as a cultural city.  Gwangju’s unique identity through its history and previous work such as 5.18 Democracy or Gwangju Biennale is the property to become a cultural city rather than the facility itself. I suggest the Archive that binding Gwangju’s established representative facilities to develop Gwangju’s identity. 

 

  The Jungoe cultural park has the necessary facilities to show Gwangju and the southern region’s various art forms. However, many physical disturbances that affect networking exist. Furthermore, the creation of A.C.C as part of Gwangju’s cultural business will result in the decay of Gwangju and the southern regions.

  The abandoned land had used as a Jeonnam National Education Institute and Education Office in the past. The greenery is a spacious schoolyard required by an educational facility, creating a wall and dead space, making it hard to access the building.

  The old Jeonnam Education Office land between the blocks near the National Museum and biennale is located at the center of the cultural park and has potential and new possibilities as it is connected to the greenery within the infrastructure disconnect. Also the site is more beneficial for Jungoe park’s inner view than it is for long-distance views due to apartment blocks nearby.

  The cultural park is separated into several blocks due to the exit road of the West Gwangju IC from the Honam Expressway and the relation between the blocks has not been consider-ed causing the region to be underdeveloped.

  The site has room to act as a network center because it is located in the central area in context to the Jungoe park; however the Honam Expressway, Suha road and other such infrastructures cross the park. The site can be isolated, however, new vitalization is needed for the cultural park as infrastructure acting as the entry to Gwangju and providing new sequences within the disconnection. 

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