Spaces that have been left deserted for a long period are evolving as the new cultural spaces in Suwon. At the land where the Agricultural college of the Seoul National University once stood, Gyeonggi Imaginary Campus has been built. The thick forest and natural environment that have been created naturally make this Imaginary campus as the space of culture and rest in harmony with cultural artworks and the nature. These spaces are the places to support cultural renaissance of Suwon as well as creation of artwork by artists, where the projects invigorating the towns are underway with artists, residents and NGOs. This article reports the feature of the secretive space that is creating the high quality cultural trend in Suwon.
Written by Kang Il-seo, Yoon Seung-ki Photo by Gyeonggi Imaginary Campus
GYEONGGI IMAGINARY CAMPUS, culturing imagination and fun
Into the land where Sangrok Campus (the Agricultural College) of the Seoul National University used to stand in Suwon, Gyeonggi Imaginary Campus came in. After the Agricultural college moved to Gwanak campus in 2003, the Sangrok campus has been sleeping for 12 years and 9 months. In order to utilize the building and the land that remain intact, the Gyeonggi Province and Gyeongg Cultural Foundation started its preparation since 2014. At last, the new campus opened in June 2016.
After remodeling, Agricultural & horticulture building was reborn as Gyeonggi Youth Culture Creation center and the Agricultural Engineering building was reborn as Imaginary Engineering building. These are used as the place to support the creative experiments and activities that create new jobs based on culture and art.
Various handicraft workshop, childrens' book playground, independent publishers' bookstore, bicycle culture salon have moved in here. Cultural hub cafe, living artwork handicraft workshop and art shop and youths' creation experimental laboratory are located here. The Dasara Culture Planning school has also opened to train young cultural planners. This space is also used as the spaces for sharing the culture with residents, such as exhibition center 'Sseulagi' showing old items, Hanul marketplace, resting place Yeoulmadang, etc.
In addition to the fixed facilities and spaces, there were many things to see at the open festival. The exhibition 'Alice in Wonderland' by Lewis Carol who is a British fairytale writer was most favored by children.
The exhibition staffs with make-up were cast in the roles of various scenes appearing in the 'Alice in Wonderland'. Various other interesting events such as various exhibitions, flea market, and street performances caught the eyes of Suwon citizens.
At Gyeonggi Youth Culture Creation center, 8 youth teams in total moved in as a pilot project in 2016. The pilot projects include ‘40,000 kilometer team which is the startup for independent publishing and production' and 'bicycle culture salon team' that shows various cultural and creative activities with the bicycle as a medium. In addition to already opened spaces, agricultural craftwork room and upcycling center have been completed by remodeling in 2017. Further plans for the year end include open selection of youth group and presenting the business model where upcycling productions under the participation of local residents are put on sale.
‘Youth Culture Creation center’ for the business incubation and creative activities of the youth
At the Gyeonngi Youth Culture Creation center, also known as 'Youth 1981' , various promotion activities for youth culture are underway, including support of consulting and spaces, training young regional cultural planners and support to international exchange and networking gatherings, to promote youth's business incubation and creative activities based on culture and arts.
This place recruits occupants from the youth aged 39 or younger or organizations which pursue business incubation and creation based on culture & art or fusion and convergence industries. The Gyeonngi Youth Culture Creation center supports the young artists’ activity by providing admission to the handicraft workshop to be engaged in artworks in the workshop during a certain contract period.
Any youth who seeks business incubation or creation based on culture & art or fusion and convergence industries is eligible for admission to the Gyeonggi Youth Culture Creation center. Therefore, this center is the space where artists in more diverse genres are granted the opportunity for creative activities. Any group moving into the Gyeonggi Youth Culture Creation center is entitled to various benefits, which more than anything else include making reservations for using various LAB rooms for such as carpentry, painting, drying, etc.
These spaces allow the artists to minimize their work hours, and enable them to describe any idea they came up with immediately. Furthermore, artists can use the café as well as equipment (3D printer, laser cutter, etc.) at a low cost. In addition, this space provides further benefits to the artists and organizations as occupants to become the best space for creative activities.
A peculiar terminology is used to describe the artists and the organizations that are occupants of this space. It is ‘groover’. Groover is the compound word of ‘grove’ meaning small forest with ‘groove’ meaning enjoyment as well as ‘er’. This is the identity commonly designating the members of the co-working space in the forest of Imaginary campus, containing the meaning of ‘the person who gathers together in the forest and enjoys together’. The name ‘groover’ came to be used like this, to the effect that the artists and organizations in creative activities shall be allowed to enjoy and achieve their goals and challenges as much as they want in the forest. We cheer them on so that the dreams of the cultural artists in Suwon would come true, like this name suggests.
Gyeonggi Youth Culture Creation Center
This center proceeds with various promotion activities for youth culture, such as support of consulting and spaces, training young regional cultural planners who will cover the regional areas and support to international exchange and youth networking gatherings, to promote youth's business incubation and creation activities based on culture and arts.
Mon~Sat : 10AM~6PM *Sundays and holidays closed
Sonsali handicraft
The Sonsali handicraft workshop located in the Gyeonggi Living Culture Center has been occupied by the handicraft team based on living culture, who seeks to grow together with the area with their talent of making by hand. Visitors can experience making hand-made products such as living carpentry, storybook, metal craft (accessories), natural soap, embroidery, etc., which are on sale as well.
Mon~Sat : 10AM~6PM *Sundays and holidays closed
forêt forêt
The inner forest marketplace, forêt forêt is the crowded marketplace opening in the thick forest in Gyeonggi Imaginary Campus. The products created by the organizations occupying the Gyeonggi Imaginary Campus as well as living props of local residents can be traded here. In the wide lawn where adults can run and play with their children, fun and exciting programs are held every month. At forêt forêt, visitors can go shopping, watch performances or lie down to have a comfortable rest.
Every last Saturday of each month between May~Sept.
Schedule is subject to change
Gyeonggi Living Culture Center
This center operates various programs (lecture and workshop, residency at handicraft workshop etc.) to propagate the living culture to each age group and target group and provides autonomous learning space and cultural leisure space to local residents to realize its value as the ‘playground for everyone’.
Mon~Sat : 10AM~6PM *Sundays and holidays closed
Gyeonggi Vivid Republic
This is the recycled space of the previous Agricultural college of Seoul National University, Agricultural Engineering building, dreaming of realizing new imagination through convergence, and the culture of recycling, new birth or coexistence. This is the place reborn using the realization of imagination through convergence of craftwork (textile, glass, porcelain) and design, humanities, literature and arts as well as the spatial and historical feature of the Agricultural college of Seoul National University. This is the complex cultural space as the multi-platform operating the programs for participation, cooperation, interchange and exhibitions.
Tues~Sat : 10AM~6PM *Mon, Thanksgiving day and New year’s holidays closed (Inquiries: 070-4231-8800)
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