Arts and Culture
The SEED Project at the University of Bologna is actively engaged in the organization of Korean Art and Culture performances, in cooperation with other well-established institutions in the Department of Arts such as “La Soffitta” and “DAMSLab”, in order to disseminate Korea-related activities and to involve the academic and local communities at large.
These activities meet the interests of students and academics from the Department, who focus on artistic disciplines, and of the local community at large, creating a positive effect for the visibility and dissemination of the project activities to attract interested people toward Korean Studies and the Korean culture more in general.
The SEED Project for Korean Studies at the University of Bologna has helped to strengthen the cultural dialogue between Korea and Italy.
Event on 23 March 2022 (First Year of Project):
DALLA COREA ALL'ITALIA: incontro con la violoncellista Kyung mi Lee
“From Korea To Italy”: meeting with South Korean cellist Kyung-mi Lee
The Korean cellist Kyung mi Lee, who graduated with full marks and honors from the "Conservatory of Music of S. Cecilia" in Rome and at the "National Academy of S. Cecilia" and winner of a great number of international awards, has been invited to UNIBO for a talk and music performance with Professor Anna Scalfaro (Department of Arts, UNIBO) about her artistic and musical path between Korea and Italy.
The meeting has been enriched by musical moments in which Kung mi Lee's cello has been accompanied on the piano by Anna Scalfaro.
Event on 6 May 2022 (First Year of Project):
2022 Korea, Arirang
Spettacolo di danza, canto popolare, percussioni e musica della tradizione coreana
Traditional Korean dance, folk song, percussion and music show, expressing Korea's traditional performing arts.
The show presents a various range of Korean traditional disciplines, such as the traditional string instruments gayageum, Byeongchang choirs, Namdo dances, folk sokgs, and traditional percussions.
The performers are young artists from the Arirang Art Troupe, a performing art company of the prestigious National Middle School of Traditional Korean Arts, an art institution devoted to the conservation and enhancement of the intangible treasures of the Korean cultural tradition.
LE FORME DEL SILENZIO: Art Exhibition
Marking the conclusion of the international conference Creative Korea, the contemporary art exhibition "Forms of Silence" by the association Korean Artists in Italy (ARCOI) will be inaugurated. This event is organized in collaboration with the DAR - Department of the Arts at Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, the Asia Institute, and with the support of the Academy of Korean Studies.
From May 5 to May 27, 2023
Opening: May 5 at 18:15
DAMSLab/Hall (Piazzetta P.P. Pasolini, 5b - Bologna)
FORMS OF SILENCE
The experience of Korean artists in Italy as foreigners has shaped their work and influenced their personalities, continuing to impact their art and visual languages. At the beginning of their stay in Italy, these artists did not speak the language, creating an invisible bubble that separated them from the outside world. This particular condition, in some cases, led to loneliness and social isolation.
Learning to speak Italian, albeit with a limited vocabulary, felt like learning to walk again as a child. This linguistic limitation significantly altered their worldview. Over time, acquiring means of communication, both linguistic and visual, broadened their horizons, creating a simultaneous belonging to two different worlds. However, it also began to question their "Korean-ness."
How Korean are they? To what extent can (or should) they maintain their Korean identity, which they had never doubted before leaving their homeland? This conflict arises because, in Italy, where they live, they are seen as Koreans, while in Korea, they are no longer perceived as belonging to their society, thus losing part of their identity.
To maintain their connection to their heritage, they formed an association where they could find their values and share their stories. This situation contributed to the formation of ARCOI (Association of Korean Artists in Italy). Their works have absorbed the surrounding atmosphere, or rather, the artists' souls have been somewhat "contaminated" by their environment, with a touch of solitude resulting from the transformation of their identity into a hybrid of Korean and Italian.
This is why the works of Korean artists in Italy are perceived as immediately comprehensible, creating a natural empathy with the Italian audience. Communication is not always effective with language, which often creates misunderstandings. Sometimes, a smile, a silence, a nod, or a look of trust is more effective. Art is similar to this mode of expression.
Visual art is perceived more easily because it is a universal language that is "felt" immediately, breaking down prejudices and lacking ideological intentions. Art thus becomes a way to free oneself from preconceptions and to open a true and sincere dialogue with the audience in Italy, where the artists have found their second home.
DAEGAYA FANTASIA Youth Ensemble: Performative and Music Exhibition
October 26, 2023, from 18:00 to 19:00
DAMSLab/Auditorium (Piazzetta P.P. Pasolini, 5b - Bologna) - UNIVERSITY OF BOLOGNA
Organized by the Department of the Arts of Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, with the support of the Korean Consulate General in Milan - 주밀라노총영사관 and in collaboration with the Asia Institute, Korea Centre, and the Academy of Korean Studies, the "Daegaya Youth Ensemble," composed of eleven young Korean musicians, will amaze the audience with a concert featuring traditional Korean Gayageum, violins, and cellos. The performance will span from classical Korean repertoire to Western pieces, specially arranged for the event.
The concert, free and open to the public, offers a unique opportunity to unite two different musical cultures, Korean and Italian, thus creating an intercultural exchange between the two ensembles. The Korean tour of performances is organized by the Goryeong Culture Center as part of the research and exchange project of excellent cultural content, supported by the Korean Ministry of Culture, the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea, the Goryeong Culture Center, the Korean Foundation for International Culture Exchange, and the city of Goryeong-Gun.
ALGORITMO COREA: Performing arts ai tempi dell’intelligenza artificiale
(ALGORITHM KOREA: Performing Arts in the Age of Artificial Intelligence)
Workshop, Round Table, Public Presentation, Installation
Workshop for Actors / Directors / Dramaturgs / Set and Space Designers / Video Artists / Audio and Music Designers
DATES: January 15 - January 19, 2024
TIME: 10:00 - 20:30
LOCATION: Salone Marescotti | DAMSLab Teatro | Sala Borsa, Bologna
Curated by: Matteo Casari and Andrea Paciotto
In collaboration with: CultureHub Italy, Seoul Institute of the Arts; Fondazione per l’Innovazione Urbana, Rusconi, Villa Ghigi
Patronage by: Asia Institute, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Korean Consulate General in Milan - 주밀라노총영사관, Korea Centre, with support from the Seed Program for Korean Studies of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and the Korean Studies Promotion Service at the Academy of Korean Studies (AKS-2021-INC-2230003)
Conducted by: Kim JaeMin and Andrea Paciotto (Seoul Institute of the Arts) with participation from Kim DoHyong, Park MinJu, An Sonhu, Jang Soyoung, Lee JiEun, Son HwiBom (Seoul Institute of the Arts)
Schedule: 10:00 - 13:00 and 14:00 - 17:00
Overview:
The workshop aims to explore the intersection between performing arts and AI to transcend traditional boundaries of scenography through the meeting of human and artificial creativity. Participants will learn to interact with AI as a genuine creative collaborator to generate texts, create images, and develop innovative staging solutions, with the goal of implementing them in a “hybrid performance” live. This is a unique opportunity to expand the horizons of creative production and imagine the future scenarios of performing arts.
Participation: Free and reserved for students of the University of Bologna
