Arts Council Korea releases Contemporary Korean Arts Series as an introduction to contemporary Korean arts.
The Chairperson of Arts Council Korea (ARKO), Oh Gwang-su, has launched the Contemporary Korean Arts Series, to raise international awareness of the current state and unique features of Korean contemporary arts and to improve arts exchange around the world.
The first four titles in the series cover theatre, music, architecture and Korean nomadism with the titles: Daehangno: Theater District in Seoul, Diaspora: Korean Nomadism, Harmonia Koreana: A Short History of 20th-century Korean Music and City as Art: 100 Notable Works of Architecture in Seoul.
Until now, the availability of reference materials about contemporary Korean arts for an international audience has been limited and has not reflected its importance. However, with the publication of this Contemporary Korean Arts Series, overseas artists and the public will now have access to a wealth of information about the trends and unique features of Korean arts. It is hoped that this will in turn help to boost international artistic exchanges.
ARKO is planning to publish three more titles in the series in the coming year ― Contemporary Korean Dance, Popular Music in Korea and Modern Female Artists in Korea. In total, 15 titles will be published over five years.
The series excludes literature and traditional arts, as literature is already translated by other organisations, and a number of resources already exist on traditional arts.
“People are getting more and more interested in Korean culture and arts worldwide as a result of the Korean Wave”, said Oh Gwang-su, the chairperson of ARKO. “In response, ARKO will be continuing to release and promote materials about Korean arts to the world.”The publication and distribution of the
Contemporary Korean Arts Series, is managed by Hollym Corp., Publishers. The series is priced as ₩10,000 per title. Copies of these four publications will be provided free of charge to all IFACCA members, thanks to a partnership between Arts Council Korea and IFACCA.