Ulsan: A Cultural City Where Artists Thrive
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- blog.naver.com
Ulsan, a place where artists reside, artworks are born, and stories of the city unfold!
What image comes to mind when you think of Ulsan?
Is it the industrial city represented by automobiles, shipbuilding, and petrochemicals?
Or do you think of the beautiful nature, like the Taehwa River and Daewangam Park?
For me, Ulsan has recently presented a different face, one of a 'cultural city where artists stay.'
I am currently living in an art residency called Jangsaengpo Art Stay.
Initially, I thought of it merely as a workspace for my projects.
However, as I spent time here, I realized that this space is deeply connected to Ulsan's cultural and artistic scene.
Particularly, examining the residency program of the Whale Culture Foundation reveals how Ulsan is transforming from an industrial city to a cultural one.
Jangsaengpo, known as the city of whales, is evolving from a center of whaling to a prominent cultural and tourist space.
Various attractions, including the Whale Culture Village and the Jangsaengpo Whale Museum, have emerged, along with creative spaces for artists.
One of the central places is Jangsaengpo Art Stay.
What I find most interesting about staying here is the 'change of space.'
While the past Jangsaengpo was a place for whaling and industry, today it hosts writers and artists creating new works.
In essence, a new culture is being built on the foundations of the old Jangsaengpo.
What does the art residency mean for an artist?
When people hear the term residency, they often think of it as a program that simply provides a studio for artists.
I thought so at first too, but the reality is different.
What artists need is not just a simple workspace.
They require a quiet place to write, opportunities to meet new people, and sometimes even aimless walks through the neighborhood.
Most importantly, they need time to look at their living space with fresh eyes.
I believe that residencies create such opportunities.
At the Ulsan Nam-gu Cultural Arts Creation Village, supported by the Whale Culture Foundation, writers and visual artists are engaged in creative activities.
In Jangsaengpo Art Stay, literary writers craft their works while visual artists create their pieces.
It's fascinating that artists from different genres reside in the same area.
As I stay at the art residency, my perspective on Jangsaengpo has changed significantly.
Alleyways I would usually overlook now capture my attention.
I notice old buildings and signs swaying in the sea breeze.
The harbor's landscape appears anew.
Some days, the old scenery of Jangsaengpo feels like a novel.
To 'stay in a region as an artist' means more than just living there.
It involves observing the people, spaces, history, and landscapes of the area and recording them in one's own language.
The works born from this process eventually return to the community.
Thus, residencies can be seen as projects that support artists while also documenting the region.
The Whale Culture Foundation's residency program is intriguing not only because it focuses on literature.
In addition to the art stay for literary writers, there is also Creation Studio 131 for visual artists.
Writers and painters create side by side, each interpreting Jangsaengpo through their unique lenses.
Ultimately, the stories and artworks produced contribute to the cultural narrative of Ulsan.
While I stay at the art residency, I am discovering new stories in Jangsaengpo.
The question I now ponder is, 'What can I discover here?'
As I walk through Jangsaengpo, stories begin to emerge—old alleys, the scent of the sea, the harbor's scenery, memories of whales, the lives of its residents, and the artists creating new works.
All of these elements weave together to form a rich cultural tapestry.
Where will the next story of Ulsan begin?
I am currently seeking answers to that question in Jangsaengpo.
Preserving past stories is essential, but creating new narratives on top of them is equally important.
The residency program of the Whale Culture Foundation plays such a role.
It provides artists with the space and time to create, adds new cultural perspectives to the community, and offers citizens opportunities to meet artists and their works.
All of this contributes to the evolving story of the city of Ulsan.
In this way, the Jangsaengpo Art Stay is a page in that story.
As artists reside in the city of whales, new artworks emerge, and these works connect with the community to shape the cultural landscape.
From an industrial city to a cultural city, from a past of whaling to a new era of art.
Perhaps Ulsan's transformation begins not with grand slogans but with the simple act of an artist writing a line in this place.
I, too, plan to write more of Ulsan's new stories during my time here.
In the place where whales once thrived, art now resides.
And I am here, writing that story.
Source :https://blog.naver.com/ulsan_nuri/224399359978
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