[The Suwan News = Kim Tongjoo, Head of News] The 2nd Haslla International Arts Festival, hosted by the Haslla International Arts Festival Organization and the Gangneung Arts Center (Director Shim Kyu-man), will color Gangneung’s autumn with art, raising its grand curtain with an opening performance on the 18th.
Under the theme of ‘Gifts and Presents,’ this year’s festival is drawing attention for its innovative attempt to move beyond traditional, theater-centric performance culture and engage
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with citizens in various spaces throughout the city.
‘Gift’: Sharing the creator’s talent without charge
The Haslla International Arts Festival, which made an experimental debut last season with the theme ‘The Beginning’ (a diverse fusion of artistic genres across various regional spaces), selected the theme of ‘Gifts and Presents’ for this year. Artistic Director Cho Jae-hyuk stated, “Just as a ‘gift’ carries the meaning of being received freely from another, this festival embodies the planning intention of unconditionally sharing the artistic talent and inspiration held by creators with the audience.” This reflects the festival’s aspiration for art to be a ‘gift’ that permeates the lives of all citizens, rather than being the exclusive property of a certain class.
Beyond the theatre, taking the city as our stage and reaching out to citizens
The 2nd Haslla International Arts Festival aims to be a festival where children, parents, and artists can communicate together, moving beyond simple performance viewing. In particular, the ‘Our Music Feast’ (우덜 음악잔치), organized with diverse programs throughout Gangneung, is expected to extend the festival experience for everyone by utilizing various spaces across the city—including the Gangneung Arts Center, Chodang Catholic Church, and Arte Museum Gangneung—as stages, breathing life into the local community and engaging with citizens.
Instead of staying in one spot, the audience can move around the various ‘theaters’ scattered across the city and view performances from multiple angles, allowing them to experience art in a more active and three-dimensional manner. This approach is expected to fill the citizens’ everyday spaces with art, serving as an opportunity to narrow the physical and psychological distance between people and art.
Opening performance on 18 October: the beginning of a gift-like moment
The opening performance on October 18th, marking the start of the festival, is set to feature a fusion of various genres including classical music, literature, and media art. It is highly anticipated that international and local artists will participate together to fill Gangneung’s autumn night with beautiful melodies and emotion.
The festival lineup includes a meeting of literature and music, $ $<추일서정(秋日抒情)>$ $ (Autumn Lyric), composed and arranged by Choi Woo-jeong based on the work of poet Kim Kwang-kyun. Furthermore, on the 25th, the $<하슬라와 라카이: 라카이 루아우 시즌 10 – 상심열목(賞心悅目)>$ $ (Haslla and Lakai: Lakai Luau Season 10 – Delightful to the Eyes and Mind) performance will feature pianist Sunwoo Yekwon playing Chopin’s ’24 Preludes’ against a media art backdrop based on Shin Yun-bok’s ‘Portrait of a Beauty’ from the Kansong Art and Culture Foundation. In addition to these main performances, audiences can experience a variety of stages presented by top-tier domestic and international artists over the nine days.
The 2nd Haslla International Arts Festival is expected to offer audiences “moments like a gift,” conveying a message of healing and solidarity through art to the local community, while also substantially contributing to the revitalization of the regional economy by attracting domestic and international tourists.
Kim Tongjoo, Head of News
