'Newtro Festival' provides a contemporary approach to traditional Korean culture

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'Newtro Festival' provides a contemporary approach to traditional Korean culture

Published: 25 Jan. 2023, 14:35

A pop-up store on the second floor of the Culture Station Seoul 284 is filled with products like shoes, jewelry and clothes, which were made by young entrepreneur artists, as part of the "Newtro Festival." [KCDF]

With smartphones serving as one of children’s main sources of entertainment, it is now a rare sight to see them playing traditional Korean games outdoors.

The Korea Craft and Design Foundation (KCDF), along with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, hopes to change that paradigm with the first edition of the “Newtro Festival.” The exhibition kicked off earlier this month at Culture Station Seoul 284 in Jung District, central Seoul.

A newly-coined word comprised of “new” and “retro,” the exhibition aims to provide opportunities for the public to enjoy traditional Korean culture from a contemporary approach.

“We organized this event so that the MZ Generation [who are mostly in their 20s and 30s] can enjoy reinterpreted versions of our traditional culture,” said Seo Min-kyung, one of three curators of the Newtro Festival, during a press conference on Jan. 18.

“It’s not just about looking back at our old traditions, but evolving them to pass them on to future generations.”

Visitors are able to play Korean traditional children's games at the "Newtro Festival" in Culture Station Seoul 284 in Jung District, central Seoul, like gonggi shown here, or Korean jacks. [YONHAP]

Newtro Festival, which the KCDF said it plans to hold annually in February around the Lunar New Year season, consists of artworks in the forms of installations or media, hands-on programs and a pop-up store.

The central hall of Culture Station Seoul 284, which is the first room upon entering the exhibition, features an installation artwork called “41% of Moon” by the artist team Knockem.

Using the motif of the moon, which is a recurring theme in Korean folk stories, the piece explores the other half of the moon that is not visible from Earth, “which is said to be 41 percent,” the team said the same day.

“We imagined it [the other half of the moon] as a green spring with rabbits running around on it — luckily it is also the Year of the Rabbit [this year].”

The exhibition features numerous hands-on programs that include traditional children’s games, such as yutnori (a Korean board game) and ttakjichigi (a Korean slap-match game), and even trying on hanbok (Korean traditional dress).

The central hall of Culture Station Seoul 284 in Jung District, central Seoul, sees an installation artwork called “41% of Moon” by the artist team Knockem as part of the "Newtro Festival." [YONHAP]

Instructions on how to play the games are available via QR codes on site.

A pop-up store on the second floor is filled with products like shoes, jewelry and clothes, which were made by young entrepreneur artists. They were specially selected and are being sponsored by the KCDF, to “promote emerging businesses related to Korean traditional culture.”

There are also special one-day workshops during which visitors can create a “K-food kit” or make hanji (Korean traditional mulberry paper) mobiles.

The “Newtro Festival” continues through Feb. 26. The exhibition and all programs are free. Culture Station Seoul 284 is open every day from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., except Mondays. Some require reservations via the website.

Visitors are able to play Korean traditional children's games at the "Newtro Festival" in Culture Station Seoul 284 in Jung District, central Seoul, like cat's cradle, shown here. [YONHAP]

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]