National Asia Culture Center Celebrates 10th Anniversary with Diverse Events

The National Asia Culture Center (ACC) is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year with the theme 'Tomorrow's Asia, ACC Envisions.' A variety of exhibitions, performances, and events are planned throughout the year.

In May, the 'ACC Future Sports Festival' will take place in the Complex Exhibition Hall 1, merging media art with physical movement and play. This interactive exhibition will feature programs like 'Ddakddak (Ground Tag)' and 'AI Mugunghwa Has Bloomed.'

From April to the first week of July, media artist Lee Lee-nam will showcase new works that blend traditional landscape painting with media art in Complex Exhibition Hall 1. Additionally, from July to December, Japanese sound artist Ryoji Ikeda will present his exhibition in Complex Exhibition Halls 3 and 4.

A major exhibition titled 'Declaration of Spring' will open in September, addressing contemporary issues such as economic inequality and climate crisis, while proposing future alternatives through the lens of the Anthropocene and capitalocene theories. This special exhibition is a collaboration with the Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe (ZKM) in Germany and M+ Museum in Hong Kong, running until February next year in Complex Exhibition Hall 1.

In October, a new exhibition space focusing on the Central Asian Silk Road will open, featuring the special exhibition 'The Next Step, Winds of the Steppe.' Visitors will be able to experience Central Asian culture and lifestyle by moving through various spaces like steppes, yurts, and markets.

The 10th anniversary will also feature a rich lineup of performances. The audience-participation play 'I Was Not in Gwangju' will be staged in May, followed by the media pansori play 'The Tale of the Swallow' in October, based on 'Heungbo.' Directed by Yang Jung-woong, this performance will involve the band Leenalchi and Ambiguous Dance Company. In November, the 'Asian Directors Trilogy: Remapping Asia' will showcase works from directors from Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand, each offering unique perspectives.

Opened in November 2015 on the site of the former Jeonnam Provincial Office, the National Asia Culture Center serves as a cultural space dedicated to showcasing Asian arts and culture. As of last year, it has welcomed approximately 19 million visitors, with a record 3.2 million in the past year alone. ACC Director Lee Kang-hyun stated, 'In celebration of our 10th anniversary, we will enhance our core functions by establishing permanent exhibitions based on creative and production-driven works and developing representative performances of our institution. We aim to expand collaboration and communication with local artists and lead international exchange platforms among Asian countries to foster mutual growth.'