Autumn on campus with art

With the onset of the Autumn season, Seoul National University hosted the 2023 Seoul National University Art Week (ArtSpace@SNU), spanning five days from September 18th to 22nd. This event took place primarily at the Gwanak Art Hall on the Gwanak Campus, as well as across four additional multi-campus locations (Yeongeon, Siheung, and Pyeongchang Campuses) and within the local community. Now in its ninth edition, this year's Arts Week boasted a total of 78 performances and exhibitions, encompassing poetry recitals, art exhibitions, student showcases, and community collaborations.

The opening ceremony and inaugural performance took place on Monday, September 18th, 5pm at Guanheo Cosmos Hall, Building 28. The theme of this performance, titled "Between, one another," was a multidisciplinary artistic endeavor jointly crafted by a music student Kim Bo-yeon, a performing arts major student Kim So-jeong, and a business administration student Cha Young-eun. This collaboration spanned from direction to text, video production, and musical composition.

In partnership with the Gwanak Cultural Foundation, the Institute for Culture and Arts presented 'A-ni-mal-jeon' to extend the cultural and artistic pleasures of Seoul National University to the local community. On Friday, September 22nd, 7:30pm at Gwanak Art Hall, 'A-ni-mal-jeon' engaged audiences by employing the voices of animals to pose philosophical inquiries about the inner lives of humans. The production garnered various accolades, including recognition through the Seoul National University Undergraduate Student Research Grant Program (President's Award) and selection as a three-part series for the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism's Art Change-up Project.

On Monday, September 18th, the music department premiered the 'Sound of Winds' performance at the Pyeongchang Campus. Concurrently, at 6:30pm on the same day, the 'Cine Music Festival' unfolded on the rooftop garden of the Central Library (Judge Joo Hongjun & Hong Gyesoo Roof Garden, 5th floor, Kwanjeong Building), where attendees could immerse themselves in the autumn ambiance at sunset. Furthermore, seven musical performances graced both indoor and outdoor settings across the Gwanak, Yeongeon, and Siheung campuses.

Artistic creations from the art department were also on display at the Gwanak, Yeongeon, and Siheung campuses. A total of 29 student exhibitions, featuring participants from the College of Fine Arts, were showcased, alongside the curatorial exhibition 'Movement' at the Woosuk Gallery in Building 74, which ran from September 14th (Thursday) to 27th (Wednesday). On Friday, September 22nd, a seminar hosted by the College of Fine Arts' women's alumni association, HANUL, was scheduled.

Moreover, a series of performances organized by the student organization 'General Student Committee' enlivened the event. Under the theme of 'Freedom and Romance,' 37 student performances, ranging from instrumental music and vocal displays to band performances and dance routines, graced the Lawn Square. On Tuesday, September 19th, a poetry recitation concert, 'Dream or Longing,' took place in the auditorium of Building 74 on the Gwanak Campus, featuring recitations of poems in diverse languages accompanied by string music. On Thursday, September 21st, a poetry recital was hosted at two cafes located in Daehak-ro, near the Yeongeon Campus.

Seoul National University anticipates that the 2023 Arts Week event will facilitate the sharing of its cultural and artistic prowess among its campuses, leaving a positive imprint on the local community through the seamless integration of culture and art into everyday life.

Translated by
Seulki Yeo (Department of Russian Language and Literature)