2012 Community Art Project
Seoul Art Space_Geumcheon defines 'community art' as something more than personal artistic achievement. It should embrace activities, which in effect contribute to the infrastructure of social culture, using localism as a material as a 'visual material', or research and archiving. However, this does not necessarily presuppose joint work with residents. Between 2009 and 2012 Community Art Project has carried out a total of 14 projects.
In our inaugural year of 2009, we have placed our emphasis on identifying the local nature of Seoul Art Space_Geumcheon in the long run rather than on collaborations with local residents or the realization of public ideals. In 2010 we divided our agenda to the three branches of resident participatory programs, educational programs and archiving, supported for local residents, and offered administrative consulting services.
In 2011 we expanded the scope of our target beneficiaries from artists in residence to outside artists as well and clearly defined the direction of Seoul Art Space_Geumcheon's community art agenda in how our artists mutually reach out to the local community, with examples including Jung Yeon-doo's <Nam-seoul Rainbow>, Heo Tae-won's <Garden of Geumcheon>, etc.
Our community art project of 2012, lead by Im Heung-soon who has inquired into the history of the Guro, Geumcheon areas in which Seoul Art Space_Geumcheon is located during his long-term residency of two years, demonstrated growth into allowing local residents to go from being the inspiration for, direct or indirect subject matter of, and in supporting roles in artists' work to becoming artists in their own right who have turned their own ideas into a movie.
This project, which had assumed the form of presentations for each piece of art, was presented as part of an exhibition for the ‘Urban Issues Research Project’ since 2012, and a joint ‘Community and Research Project’ is in plans to be carried out in 2013.
