Features / Focus

International Artist Residencies in Korea (2)

posted 19 Feb 2019

(2) National and Public Residencies in Local Communities

Korea is home to many of nature’s gifts, from the ocean and the mountains to the plains. Artists living in residencies located in Daejeon, Jeonju, Daegu, and Gimhae will have the privilege of being in the midst of the characteristic nature of each area. Each residency, programmed to the local regional traits or the visions of local government organizations, will be appealing to those who are looking for a specialized work environment.

1. Daejeon Culture and Arts Foundation (DCAF) – Artist Residency TEMI

Artist Residency TEMI

Geographically, Daejeon is a metropolitan city located in the central region of South Korea, also referred to as the “hub of transportation” of the country. Due to this unique location, Daejeon is great for artists looking to travel to different parts of Korea during their three-month residency. If you are an artist seeking to visit different cities in Korea during your residency, Daejeon may be the city for you.

Artist Mentoring of Akiko Nakayama, Theoretical Support Section, 2018. ⓒArtist Residency TEMI

The Opening of Artist in Residence Koh Jae-wook’s Solo Exhibition 《For Workers》, Akiko Nakayama’s Performance, 2018. ⓒArtist Residency TEMI

Located in Jung-gu, Daejeon, Artist Residency TEMI’s building was initially a city library called TEMI Library that opened in 1979. As the library moved in to different location in 2012, the space was reopened as an inspirational place for artist to create art in 2014 which is now known as the Artist Residency TEMI. They currently have the 6th artist group in residence. The program accepts visual artists from all disciplines, including 2-dimensional, 3-dimensional, photography, cinematography, new media, and more, and has no age limit. TEMI recruits five Korean artists and 1 to 3 international artists. There are only six studios available in TEMI, which is relatively small in scale compared to other residencies where many artists move in at once. Nonetheless, because of the small size, it has much more intimate setting where the artists can interact more with others and live like a family. Through planning, organizing and executing exhibitions and projects by themselves, artists can work more interactively with others.

A View of a TEMI Studio ⓒArtist Residency TEMI

There are programs that support artists to freely expand their creativity and also enhance their capacity. The programs also initiate interactions among the artists in residence and in local to further promote artistic creation and enjoyment in the region. Since 2015, artists have been researching Daejeon’s cultural assets and present them to the public from their aspect by participating in a regional research project. Artists are most often selected to live in residence for three months, however, if the artists are issued with long-stay visa, they can extend their stay in residence up to 11 months. This year’s application period has already ended, but next year’s application period is between October and November. Interested artists are encouraged to take your time to apply.

Related link: https://youtu.be/WXVty9A5ri0

2. FoCA (Palbok Factory of Contemporary Arts) – Residency in Jeonju

Residency in Jeonju

View of Palbok Factory of Contemporary Arts, 2018. ⓒPalbok Factory of Contemporary Arts

If you want to enjoy Korean traditions and culture, Jeonju in Jeollabuk Province, is the place to go. The city is well-known for a tourist destination, filled with traditional cultural heritage sites like the Gyeonggijeon Shrine with a portrait of the first Joseon King, Yi Seong-gye, also known as King Tae-jo, approximately 700 hanoks, or traditional Korean houses, and the Jeonju Hyanggyo Local Confucian School. In March 2018, an experimental artistic space opened by the peaceful Jeonju Stream. The Palbok Factory of Contemporary Arts is a newborn residency that is recruiting for its 2nd resident artist this year. Previously a cassette tape factory, the building was abandoned for 25 years until it was renovated for residency. They seek to establish this space as a hub to merge both traditional and contemporary arts.

View of the Play+Learn Program “Dreaming Playground,” 2018. ⓒPalbok Factory of Contemporary Arts

Programs offered at the Palbok Factory of Contemporary Arts are composed of four main themes: creation, exhibition, play+learn, and community. Each of these programs are correlated with one another. They do not limit their genre on visual arts only. Their goal is to combine different genres of art such as literature, Korean traditional music, dance, music, cinematography, cartoons, and more. In order to mix different genres by going across each category, the program has a system that connects research-create-exhibition by having technicians and theorist at the residency’s lab as well. Also, since the residence is a renovated factory, it is especially suitable for site-specific art and archival research.
Breaking from the common notion of an art museum, the Palbok Factory of Contemporary Arts is a playground for everyone to gather around and create together. What kind of new art can be made from here? There are no requirements for applicants, but audio and visual, film and video, or sound artists are preferred. Interested artists in these fields should keep in mind that they accept application every November.

View of the Palbok Factory of Contemporary Arts Open Studio, 2018. ⓒPalbok Factory of Contemporary Arts

Related link: https://youtu.be/sjQ5CDrMeyI

Artist Review

Akiko / Japan / Audio-visual performance

Q. How do you apply to the residency? What’s your reason to choose the residency?
I first participated in Tsukuba International Artist in Residency in 2016 what was 3 weeks challenging to make a new art piece in nature. 18 artists from 11 countries lived together and had to climb the mountains during the day to make works. Among them, I met Mr. Lee jong-heup who is a wonderful artist and teacher. In the residence, I did not talk much with him, but he told me about a Korean residence. So I was interested in Korean residence and applied for TEMI. Then I stayed at Daejeon for 5 months. (I had a great time in KIPRP Printmaking Residency where Mr. Lee’s studio operates, too.)

Q. Let us know about good & bad point during the stay? What would be made and progressed by the experience?
I learned a lot at TEMI to talk with young and excellent artists of the same generation. They had a very deep insight into both Western culture and Oriental culture, and tried to exchange the insight with each other well. Actually I had heard that a lot of very good contemporary artists compete and survive. I finally understood why and how they grow up. Also during my stay, I met not only fine artists but also professional photographers, art educators and so on. In many cases, they have 2-3 amazing different talents and it causes an attractive chemical reaction to their work and lifestyle, which have a big impact on my art world. A bad point during a stay... To be honest, nothing. If I have to say one thing, I would like to invite them one day in Japan, but they are too busy.

3. Daegu Foundation for Culture (DGFC) – Gachang Art Studio

Gachang Art Studio

A View of the Gachang Art Studio ⓒGachang Art Studio

Gachang Art Studio is a residency in Gachang-myeon of Dalsung-gun, Daegu. Opened in 2007, it is in its 11th year of operation under the moto of “a creative space where any artist or one can enjoy.” It is an older residency that has already housed 105 Korean artists and 51 foreign artists.
Gachang Art Studio looks for young artists under the age of 40 and operates various programs, including residency grants, culture and art tours and etc., to strengthen artists’ artistic abilities. The Gachang Creative Camp, which is one of the most prominent programs of the residency, invites artists in residence from other regions for a two-day camp. Every year in the beginning of summer, 50 artists in residence from six different residencies in Jeolla Province and Gyeongsang Province gather for discussions and lectures. There is even barbecue party for the participants during the camp. This provides great opportunity to meet artists from other parts of Korea.

Samsan-ri Day of Cultural Sharing ⓒGachang Art Studio

Aside from this, there are also other programs: the Gachang Artmap Project which focuses on the region’s history and nature, Gachang Art Academy run by the artists in residence and the Samsanri Day of Cultural Sharing which provides a chance to communicate and interact with the local residents. Especially, the Samsan-ri Day of Cultural Sharing, which began in 2012, invites approximately 60 locals to attend and participate in the Art Academy exhibitions, arts and crafts program, singing competitions, and also share a meal together with the artists in residence. Through diverse programs like these, artists become a part of the local community and its culture. If you are an artist desiring to experience the Korean local community culture and one-of-a-kind nature of the local community, take Gachang Art Studio under your consideration.

A View of Gachang Art Studio ⓒGachang Art Studio

4. Clayarch Gimhae Museum – Ceramic Creative Center

Ceramic Creative Center

A View of the Clayarch Gimhae Museum, Ceramic Creative Center ⓒClayarch Gimhae Museum

Clay artists might want to keep a close eye on the Clayarch Gimhae Museum’s Ceramic Creative Center. This ceramic creative center is Korea’s only residency that specializes in clay artistry and is a place for and all about ceramics. This residency offers a large-scaled oven which is enough to hold ceramic works over 2 meters, various types of gas ovens, a woodworking room, a supply room and other convenient features for ceramic artists, as well as technicians to provide professional advice, if needed.

Additionally, every summer, Clayarch Gimhae Museum hosts the International Ceramic Workshop. The program involves artist presenting their work of art to others, participating in culture and art tours, demonstrating their process of creativity becoming a form of an art work, and taking a part in seminars. During winter, Clayarch Winter International Ceramic Art Camp is hosted for graduate and postgraduate students. This year, the camp will be hosting participating artists in the exhibition, 《2018 Contemporary Ceramic Art in Asia》, which was hosted by China Academy of Art, National Taiwan University of Arts and Aichi Prefectural Ceramic Museum. Artists in residence are allowed to participate in any of these events as they wish, giving them opportunities to interact with many different artists and discover the depth of their own world of art.

The center is not just opened for ceramic artists only, artists in design, painting, sculpting, installation, architecture, and more can also apply for the program. To actively support the gathering and sharing ideas between artists from different genres, there are open studios and artist research seminars, as well as collaborative initiatives with other art museums and creative spaces in Gyeongsangnam Province, Busan, and Ulsan. This is a place open to artists that are both familiar and unfamiliar with ceramics. The submittal of applications for recruitment is open every June and December.

※ Read the article: International Artist Residencies in Korea (intro)

※ Read the article: International Artist Residencies in Korea (1)

※ Read the article: International Artist Residencies in Korea (3)

An Suyeon, Choi Sunjoo

An Suyeon (The Artro Editor)
Choi Sunjoo (Freelance Writer)

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