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| Ten multihued sculptures, including Kim Woo-jin's "Deer," front, are on display at the Seoul Plaza in front of City Hall as part of the ongoing outdoor Seoul Sculpture Festival. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government |
By Park Han-sol
Plazas, parks and islands at the heart of Seoul have been transformed into an outdoor sculptural wonderland as part of the ongoing Seoul Sculpture Festival.
The first stage of the festival, jointly organized by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and K-Sculpture Organizing Committee, has unfolded at Seoul Plaza in front of City Hall.
Ten multihued works ― including Kim Woo-jin's "Deer," Kim Tae-soo's "Ecoflow Triple Harmony," Shim Byung-geon's "Pressed Drawing" and Kim Dae-seong's "Singing in the Rain" ― will surround the plaza's green lawn until July 5.
Since April, Seoul Plaza has also been hosting an outdoor reading program every Friday and Saturday. Under the concept of "open library," any member of the public is encouraged to browse through portable bookshelves stocked with 3,000 books and find a place on the lawn, equipped with beanbags, picnic mats and parasols, to enjoy a story in the sunlight.
Now, the sculptures on display are expected to add another spark of creative energy for such book lovers, according to the city government.
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| Kang Min-ki's "Love is All," on view on Nodeul Island in the Han River / Courtesy of the Seoul Metropolitan Government |
Nodeul Island, an islet sitting in the middle of the Han River, has become another outdoor sculptural garden. A total of 15 colorful pieces ― such as Choi Seung-ae's "Merong," Kim Won-geun's "Angel Man" and Jeon Kang-ok's "Flying Bicycle" ― will be nestled throughout the island until July 11.
The sculptures will welcome those attending a variety of other cultural events taking place on the island, including the upcoming two-day Seoul Drum Festival that is scheduled to kick off on Friday evening.
Meanwhile, the city government and the committee have been hosting a separate series of sculptural exhibitions at Han River parks, in addition to the Seoul Sculpture Festival, with the goal of displaying over 1,000 pieces by the end of the year.
The first batch of works were presented at Nanji, Mangwon and Gangseo parks from February to April. The second batch on display at Yanghwa and Jamsil parks will be on view until June 30. From October to December, Ichon, Gwangnaru and Jamwon parks will be the final venues.
And most importantly, a special, large-scale show will bring in 900 works to the populated areas of Yeouido, Ttukseom and Banpo parks from August to September.
"We hope that the public can enjoy visiting Seoul Plaza and Nodeul Island as places where the sculptural show, books and performances can mingle harmoniously," Joo Yong-tae, head of the city government's Culture Headquarters, said in a statement.
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