If you come to downtown Seoul this winter, you will enjoy a romantic shelter with warm light flowing in unique experience zones of Antarctic wilderness. From as early as Dec. 18 this year to Feb. 15 of next year, Seoul City will hold three winter events: Seoul Festival of Lights 2009 at Gwanghwamun Square, Winter Story of Seoul Plaza at Seoul Plaza and Story of Seoul, World Design Capital.
Seoul Festival of Lights 2009 : Gwanghwamun Square turning into a huge multiplex cinema
The Seoul Festival of Lights 2009, which will feature world-class media arts, will be held from Dec. 19 to Jan. 24, turning Gwanghwamun Square into a huge multiplex cinema every night.
The world-class digital façade will be on display on screens blanketing Sejong Center for the Performing Arts and the KT Building on both sides of Gwanghwamun Square. The digital façade, consists of four themes such as light of history, light of culture and light of communications, and will feature efforts by South Korea and Seoul to prepare for the future.
About 20 works of media art will also be on display on the screens. The works include a story of heroes, light of Seoul, Seoul seen by Korean movies, the Christmas story and cities around the world by the Streaming Museum of the United States. Besides, Seoul City plans to display a variety of luminary images on the screens every evening. (Display time: 19:30, 20:30 and 21:30, for 15 minutes in each session). Also, people can display their messages, such as secret love confessions or New Year's hopes, on the screen on Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
Messages for Christmas will be on display from Dec. 22 to 26 and those for New Year will be on display from Dec. 29 to Jan. 3. Fifty messages per day will be on display during the time of the interactive media façade. Those who want to participate into the event can apply throughout the Web site of Seoul Foundation of Arts and Culture.
http://winter.hiseoulfest.org
In addition, the Fractal Turtleship by legendary video artist Paik Nam-june will be moved to Gwanghwamun Square from the Daejeon City Museum of Arts, allowing people to enjoy the late Paik's video arts. The exhibition will be available from 15:00 to 18:00 on weekdays and from 13:00 to 18:00 on weekends.
Winter
Story of Seoul Plaza: Experiencing Antarctic wilderness
The Winter Story of Seoul Plaza event is designed to let people experience the King Sejong Station, a research station for the Korean Antarctic Research Program, at the King George Island.
For the event, which will run from Dec. 19 to Feb. 15, Seoul built four exhibition halls to show a mock-up of the King Sejong Station at Seoul Plaza. Under the two major themes of Antarctica and the King Sejong Station, the event will allow visitors to experience the Antarctica and the King Sejong Station as if they were a researcher at the Antarctic research program.
In addition, the event will show off actual parts of Antarctic glaciers and the nation's first icebreaker. Besides, the event will display aurora shows on a huge ice wall at Seoul Plaza three times a day (Display time: 19:00, 20:00 and 21:00). Along a corridor between Exhibition Hall No. 1 and No. 2, there will be an experience zone featuring a blizzard, allowing visitors to feel the severe storm conditions in the Antarctica.
Story of Seoul, World Design Capital
At the same time, Seoul City will hold the Story of Seoul, World Design Capital at Seoul Plaza from Dec. 18 to Jan. 17. The event is aimed at increasing awareness of Seoul's appointment as the World Design Capital for 2010.
The event includes the WDC Experience Hall, Gate of Haechi and WDC PR Center. A light show is planned from 19:00 to 21:00 every day. The WDC Experience Hall consists of four themes: Seoul smiling with design, Charms of Seoul, Symbol of Seoul, Design Seoul is everywhere and Seoul, World Design Capital, our hope.
The Gate of Haechi was built to represent Haechi, the new identity of Seoul, and the city's appointment as the World Design Capital for 2010. At the gate, there will be a Haechi statue. Citizens can attach their drawings representing their New Year's hopes to complete the statue.
For more information : Seoul Festival of Lights