Exploring the Red Landing Exhibition at Dalcheon Iron Works
- Original source
- blog.naver.com
Hello, I am Byun Jin-seok, a reporter for the Ulsan Nuri Blog, bringing you the latest news from Ulsan.
Today, I have a unique story to share.
Did you know that a special exhibition is currently being held at the Dalcheon Iron Works in Dalcheon-dong, Ulsan, a site with nearly 2,000 years of iron history?
The exhibition is titled "The Red Landing" by artist Lee Soo-hyun. I was curious about how this historical site is being reimagined through contemporary art, so I decided to visit.
Exhibition Overview
☑️ Exhibition Name: Special Exhibition at Dalcheon Iron Works - "The Red Landing"
☑️ Duration: August 12, 2026 - September 11, 2026 (10:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Closed on Sundays and Mondays)
☑️ Location: Dalcheon Iron Works Exhibition Hall (Ulsan Buk-gu)
☑️ Artist: Lee Soo-hyun
☑️ Organized by: Ulsan Iron Festival Committee
☑️ Sponsored by: Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ulsan Metropolitan City, Ulsan Cultural Tourism Foundation
The exhibition runs until September 11, so those interested should hurry!
Do you know what Dalcheon Iron Works is?
Dalcheon Iron Works is a historic iron production site located in Dalcheon-dong, Ulsan.
It has a history of nearly 2,000 years, believed to have been extracting and smelting iron ore since the Three Han Period. Recognizing its historical and cultural value, it was designated as Ulsan Metropolitan City's Cultural Heritage No. 40 in 2003.
Today, it appears as a park surrounded by apartment complexes, often seen as just a neighborhood walking path. However, every spring, the Ulsan Iron Festival is held here, reviving traditional iron-making techniques.
Members of the Ulsan Iron Preservation Society demonstrate the process of extracting molten iron from a large furnace, which measures 15m wide and 2.5m high, using iron ore and charcoal at temperatures exceeding 1300 degrees Celsius.
This scene served as an important starting point for the current exhibition.
Who is artist Lee Soo-hyun?
Lee Soo-hyun focuses on the 'present of places.'
She explores unfamiliar locations, investigating the landscapes and sensations encountered there, collecting real stories, materials, images, and memories to create installation works.
Her work often creates unusual landscapes where the real and the imaginary intersect.
In 2023, she received the Grand Prize at the GIAF Asian Contemporary Art Young Artist Exhibition.
In 2024, she will hold a solo exhibition titled "Scattered Moonlight" at the Goyang City Hall Art Museum, and in 2025, she showcased a precursor to this exhibition titled "The Red Landing" at the Ulsan Buk-gu Art Creation Center.
In 2026, she is active as a resident artist at the Daegu Art Development Center and has been selected for the ACK Artist-Critic Matching Program, working actively across regions.
The unusual landscape created by slag and iron ore is intriguing.
Reading the exhibition pamphlet, I was struck by the moment that inspired the artist to begin this project. She witnessed the moment when a massive, hot iron ingot was taken from the furnace and placed on the ground, feeling as if she had encountered an alien object in the middle of a park surrounded by apartments.
Later, as she looked at old photos of the Dalcheon Iron Works with its red iron ore, she was reminded of the iron oxide-covered surface of Mars, and this strange imagination became the starting point for the exhibition.
In the exhibition, you will find red iron ore created by the artist, inspired by the old iron ore from Dalcheon Iron Works, alongside actual slag collected during the Ulsan Iron Restoration Project.
This exhibition aims to present a landscape where the past and future, memory and imagination overlap, transforming a familiar neighborhood park into an alien landscape.
Experiencing the artwork in person felt much heavier than viewing it in photos. The traces of iron from 2,000 years ago, lying beneath the neighborhood park, emerged vividly through the red iron ore and slag, creating an unfamiliar landscape.
It was refreshing to see how the local history I had overlooked could be reinterpreted through artistic language.
For those who wish to witness the intersection of history and art or are considering a local historical outing with children, I highly recommend this exhibition.
With little time left in the exhibition period, why not visit Dalcheon Iron Works this week?
Images from the exhibition:
Source :https://blog.naver.com/ulsan_nuri/224403515309
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