We lived with the indigenous people of the area for over a month (50 days). We shared their life wisdom and stories of local disappearance. We tried various artistic expressions based on those stories and created performances for the indigenous people, for the migrants, and for the future of Seoul and Korea.
We chose Yulgok Maeul of Wanju as the subject of our project, aiming to record the 'memory' of Yulgok Maeul in the form of a theater. We materialized the intangible culture of 'memory' into a tangible culture through various theatrical methods and created theatrical works with local residents.
We co-created a performance called <Our Town, Yulgok Maeul>. In collaboration with Daesung Hanji Village, we made a 'Hanji Mask' using traditional Korean paper and used it in the performance, and created an artistic map of Yulgok Maeul with the leftover Hanji. In addition, we conducted a public art program for children in Soyang-myeon, Yulgok Maeul's jurisdiction, and invited Spokendrama LAB YDBS to Soyang-myeon to perform a Spokendrama play.
We deeply identified the grievances of indigenous peoples in the areas of disappearance and the problems of non-metropolitan areas (outside of Seoul) that are being ignored by the Korean government, and tried to find solutions to these problems.
As a young Korean artist, I was inspired by the indigenous people of Yulgok Maeul to think about how to contribute to society and how to communicate as the next generation of artistic leaders. The Yulgok Maeul people of Wanju, who have no connection to us, embraced us with love, and we promised to make a strong leap for an ideal future to repay that love.
“Connecting artists in need of workspace with unused, uninhabited spaces in Wanju.”
Wanju Artists' Monthly Residency was born out of the realities of Wanju's depopulation, abandoned houses, and lack of young artists. Since 2017, Wanju Artists' Monthly has been matching artists in need of workspace with vacant spaces in Wanju to bring joyful vibrancy to the town, and artists to create new creative inspiration.
By Wanju Cultural Center
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<aside> <img src="/icons/postcard_gray.svg" alt="/icons/postcard_gray.svg" width="40px" /> To Yulgok Maeul
This letter started in Yulgok Maeul, Wanju, and traveled through Seoul and back to Wanju. It was written for another artist who is excited to meet Yulgok Maeul.
Wanju Yulgok Maeul gets quite hot in the summer. Mountains with dense trees surround the village, so when summer rains fall, they evaporate quickly. Despite the heat, the view from the Yulgok Maeul monument looking into the village is indescribably beautiful, and if you're lucky, you might even see a rainbow. In Seoul, the humid weather was uncomfortable, but in Yulgok Maeul, it felt like the droplets dancing in the air were washing our bodies.
Village halls are a great place to warm up after a summer typhoon. The hospitality of the mothers in the halls warms your body and soul, and you can enjoy a delicious and healthy meal. Jeomrae's kimchi has a healthy spicy flavor that you can't get anywhere else. Her TV is often broken, so it's a good idea to stop by her house to get it fixed (it's very easy, but sometimes it can be difficult) and to see her cute cats.
If you want to learn about the history of Yulgok Maeul before returning to the warmth of the Dalbitpoom, head to the blue roof where a big, fat dog guards the house and Yoo Pyeong-hee will greet you. The history of the village is more interesting than most plays.
In Soyang-myeon, where Yulgok Maeul is located, there is Soyang Elementary School. If you want to meet the kids on the large playground, just bring a soccer ball and you're sure to have fun.
The Dalbitpoom is a place where every day is a new day. There are many mysterious things that happen in the orbit of Seoul that are hard to see. Of course, it's something else for us, the writers of this letter, and we're curious about it too.
I look forward to sharing the stories I didn't get to tell in the letter in the "once-in-a-lifetime community" I'll meet one day. A group of young people playing theater, 'the Creative Group NTE’, hoping for this lucky letter to continue.
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