Gwangju is a laboratory of innovation in the field of media arts. In this creative field, various initiatives bring together artistic tradition, democratic values and human rights, high-tech science and technology, which are key components of the city’s past and present. Thanks to its strong photonics industry and R&D district, the city has become a high-tech hotspot for science technology research. Its media-content industry, LED industry and design industry are also major forces in the development of Gwangju’s media arts industries.
Gwangju also serves as a cultural and artistic hub for South Korea. Media arts in Gwangju connect the city’s contemporary art talents to cutting-edge technologies. Many cultural and artistic events are held in the city, such as the Gwangju Biennale, the Media Arts Festival and the Asia Culture Forum, all of which contribute to expanding new horizons in media arts.
Gwangju is engaging in numerous public projects that reflect the artistic value of media arts in people’s everyday lives. These initiatives provide professional development spaces in the media arts sector and promote cooperation among artists, for example through residency programmes.
As a Creative City of Media Arts, Gwangju envisages:
- sharing Gwangju’s cultural and artistic capacities as well as its accomplishments in the culture industry with the UCCN through establishing partnerships with other Cities of Media Arts; and
- providing a space for creative talents and becoming a hub for cultural and artistic exchanges in the “National Asia Culture Complex”.
