Manifesto of Spring
National Asian Culture Center Gwangju (South Korea)
Thu, October 24 – Fri, October 25, 2024
- Language
- English
The international symposium »Manifesto of Spring«, hosted by the National Asian Culture Center, aims to raise profound questions about the current struggles for democracy in our lives today. The event marks the prelude to the special exhibition »Manifesto of Spring« (September, 2025 – February, 2026), commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Center’s opening.
Asian nations that have achieved democracy through social and political upheavals in modern history now face a new era. The symbol of spring, once a representation of aspirations for democratization, has withered like a flower, and the global environment has been transformed into an exploited ecosystem in the name of economic globalization. The spring of Gwangju has become a silent spring, one that may not return. Now, we aim to detect the strategies and methods of capitalism beyond the lost spring and explore alternatives and practices in life and art.
This symposium features two central themes: The first is presented by Anna Tsing, author of the book »The Mushroom at the End of the World«, who examines capitalist value systems through the lens of wetland ecosystems and offers new possibilities for life. Following this Jason W. Moore, a key figure in world-ecology theory, who coined the concept of the "Capitalocene" as a complement to the Anthropocene, will provide his insights. Furthermore, domestic and international artists and scholars will review the latest discourses on these themes, along with new artistic approaches. Partner institutions of »Manifesto of Spring«, ZKM | Karlsruhe and M+ Museum, will share their perspectives and experiences through a roundtable discussion, sharing outlooks for the upcoming exhibition.
Art has the capability to challenge established orders and to offer new perspectives on the world. Art is also a collective expression of many solidarities. Often a work of art is itself a multi-species world, created by both humans and non-humans. »Manifesto of Spring« seeks to invoke a new spring through the struggles of life and solidarity across species. And spring has never truly been lost.
Program
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Thursday, 24.10.2024 (all times KST)
12:30 Uhr Registration
13:00 Uhr Opening
13:05 Uhr Welcoming Speech by Lee Kanghyun (Director of ACC)
13:10 Uhr Congratulatory Message 1 by Suhanya Raffel (Director of M+ Museum)
13:15 Uhr Congratulatory Message 2 by Alistair Hudson (Scientific-Artistic Director of ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe)Moderated by Kim Jiha (Senior Curator of ACC)
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Session 1: Discovering Biodiversity at the End of the Worlds
13:20 Uhr Keynote: »Swamp Life« by Anna Tsing (Anthropology, University of California, Santa Cruz and Professor, Aarhus University) [online]
14:20 Uhr Q&A
14:50 Uhr Break
15:00 Uhr »Ecofeminist Hedonism and the Politics of Inter-species Relationships« by Hwang Jooyoung (Ecofeminism research center “Moon and Trees” researcher)
15:30 Uhr »terra0 – an introduction« by Paul Seidler (terra0)
16:00 Uhr »Together with Beot« by Jieun Cho (ikkibawiKrrr)Moderated by Noh Gowoon (Dept. of Cultural Anthropology and Archaeology, Chonnam National University)
16:30 Uhr Q&A
17:10 Uhr Closing by Kim Jiha (Senior Curator of ACC) -
Friday, 25.10.2024 (all times KST)
10:00 Uhr Registration
10:30 Uhr Opening by Kim Jiha (Senior Curator of ACC) -
Session 2: Revealing the Strategy of Capitalocene
10:35 Uhr Keynote: »Democracy in the Web of Life: Against the Anthropocene of the Rich« by Jason W. Moore (Professor, Dept. of Sociology, Binghamton University)
11:35 Uhr Q&A
12:05 Uhr Lunch
13:30 Uhr »Climate/Asia: Carbon Colonialism and Community as Asia« by Seo Dongjin (Associate Professor, Dept. of Intermedia Art, Kaywon University of Art and Design)
14:00 Uhr »Anthropocene Survivalism: Survival as Public and Kenosis« by Kim Hong Jung (Professor, Dept. of Sociology at Seoul National University)
14:30 Uhr »Art or the Silence of the Chaos (The Undifferentiated Wholistic Composition of All Things)« by Soun-Gui Kim (artist)
15:00 Uhr Q&A
15:40 Uhr BreakModerated by Park Sun-Hee (Professor, Dept. of Media and Communications, Chosun University)
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Session 3: Art and Multispecies World-Making (New World)
15:50 Uhr »Hive Wisdom: Can We Nurture Collective Intelligence through Care?« by Leonhard Bartolomeus (Curator of YCAM (Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media), and part of ruangrupa)
16:30 Uhr Q&A
17:00 Uhr Roundtable: On the Exhibition »Manifesto of Spring« with Kim Jiha (Senior Curator of ACC), Lim Liwon (Curator of ACC), Silke Schmickl (CHANEL Lead Curator, Moving Image, M+ Museum), Alistair Hudson (Scientific-Artistic Director of ZKM), and Clara Runge (Curator of ZKM)
18:00 Uhr Q&AModerated by Jung Hyun (Professor/Art Critic, Dept. of Visual Arts, Inha University)
18:20 Uhr Closing by Kim Jiha (Senior Curator of ACC)
