홈타운 보산 Hometown Bosan

전시소개 OVERVIEW    |    기획의도 CURATORIAL STATEMENT    |    전시전경 INSTALLATION VIEW    |    프로그램 PROGRAM    |    아카이브 ARCHIVES

Dongducheon is a special region in Korea where the complex and contradictory characteristics of modern Korea are concentrated in one place, and it is also a universal region in the world that most quickly shares the current issues facing the logic of globalization and capitalist development. It experienced the flow of colonialism and Cold War ideology in the past, and is now facing the problem of ‘coexistence in a multicultural society.’ According to the plan to relocate US forces in Dongducheon by 2016, more than half of the US forces at Camp Casey in Dongducheon were relocated to Camp Humphreys. Depending on various geopolitical circumstances, it is predicted that the US Army at Camp Casey in Dongducheon will retain only 15% of its existing forces. Bosan-dong faces the task of convergence of different cultures before anywhere else, as economic hollowing occurred between the relocation of the US forces and the redevelopment plan, and multinationals, especially African immigrant workers, were flowing into the residences and shops that were vacant due to the economic downturn. Space AfroAsia is a non-profit art institution in the heart of Dongducheon aiming to build new relationships and a solidarity between Asia and Africa. It records Korea's historicity from an international perspective and carries out various projects in solidarity with the overseas art world, centering on the Asian and African art worlds. It is building a meeting point for art both inside and outside Korea, while rethinking the role of art. Moreover, by focusing on the region, it runs various archive programs weaving historical records that include all existing Korean residents, US soldiers, and African immigrants, art education programs breaking down the barriers between art and community and introducing residents to each other, and region-related education programs not excluding other cultures. Afroasia - Eco Museum, established on the same street, strives to be closer to the region. It records Bosan-dong, which has constantly changed its character as a multicultural city while experiencing colonialism, Cold War ideology, and capitalism, through art, and cooperates with the US military, local residents, and multinational immigrant workers. It tries to address the current status and problems, and provide an opportunity to dispel misunderstandings about each other to seek a better future together. Hometown Bosan, the inaugural and permanent exhibition of the Afroasia-Eco Museum, connects the present and the past of Bosan-dong and questions the future. Audiences can find the landscapes of the US military camp in Bosan-dong at various times in the past section and residents of Bosan-dong - local merchants, US soldiers, and African migrant workers in the current section. The landscapes and interviews are continuously being collected through Space AfroAsia’s various archive programs. The future section presents the landscape of Bosan-dong, including the current US military base, recorded with an infrared camera. Incorporating the fact that an infrared camera that changes green to red was developed for the US military, artist CHE Onejoon questions how we are looking at Bosan-dong now and how we should look at it in the future. Also, in this section, the music videos that Space AfroAsia produced collaborating with African immigrant workers (Made in Korea, No Pain, No Gain, Welcome to My Funeral.) are presented. Space AfroAsia promotes future harmony by writing songs and making music videos with them. Through those music videos, Bosan-dong does not dwell on the past, but asks questions about the future. Meanwhile, the exhibition includes physical records related to the US military (Yearly Book), African migrant worker communities’ publications, products (badges, flags, etc.) by merchants targeting the US military, novels by African immigrant workers who were active as writers in their hometowns, and publications about the Nigerian Igbos, who make up the majority of the community. Hometown Bosan will increase Bosan residents’ access to contemporary art by facilitating memory sharing and new points of conversation based on a common consensus among them. Hometown Bosan continues to be presented at AfroAsia - Eco Museum as a permanent exhibition, and will be maintained and changed by absorbing Space AfroAsia's projects.