Sŏyurok: che 2-hoe Kangnŭng Kukche At'ŭ P'esŭt'ibal = Tale of a city 2 : Gangneung International Art Festival 2023 (GIAF23) = Xi you lu

Abstract

"Gangneung International Art Festival 2023 Tale of a City II is conceived based on Seo-Yu-Rok, a 37- day travelogue written by Gangneung Kim, or Lady Kim of Gangneung that chronicles her journey across the Daegwallyeong River in Gangneung towards Seoul in the west. The festival represents Kim as a ‘personal value realizer’ who made the long journey during the turbulent times of the early 1900s and interprets her as an activist, a brave challenger who advocated and practiced the importance of women’s education. Pivoting between familiarity and estrangement, the travel shifted Kim’s identity as well as provided a new perspective on her hometown, Gangneung. Stimulated by Kim’s challenging spirit and actions, the festival gives close attention to all intertwining perceptions and emotional aspects that are in flux within time—our multifaceted interaction with the physical environment that is the city. By having Kim as the symbolic figure and a guiding presence manifested by all means, GIAF aims to inspire all visitors to gain a new perspective not only on Gangneung but also on their own ‘homes.’ Furthermore, GIAF expands the notion of ‘traveling’ as a physical act of detaching oneself for a certain period from where one once belonged, a definition that weaves throughout the festival." -- From Giartfestival.com.