[Seoul travels] Art and light emerge from a former tank encampment

Posted on : 2020-11-01 17:09 KST Modified on : 2020-11-01 17:09 KST
An old commercial complex is reborn into outdoor exhibition Hongje Yuyeon
Hongje Stream is framed in neon lights as part of an outdoor art project. Photos by Jeon Yu-an
Hongje Stream is framed in neon lights as part of an outdoor art project. Photos by Jeon Yu-an

What is the “light of your life”? If you had to pick a shining moment from your life, when would that be?

Here you can find the answers shared by residents of Seoul: “The weekend after a hard day of work.” “A photo of my family in my wallet.” “Moving into my own home for the first time.” “Getting my passing notification after a long time spent studying.” “My cat greeting me when I come home from work.” “A lover’s smile.” “A direct deposit.” The little flickers of light each one harbors become a beacon within the long tunnel of life.

Glow-in-the-dark drawings by elementary school students along Hongje Stream
Glow-in-the-dark drawings by elementary school students along Hongje Stream
A ray of light in a former tank encampment

On July 18, I walked along Hongje Yuyeon (an outdoor exhibition) in the Hongeun neighborhood of Seoul’s Seodaemun District. Here, the lower section of Yujin Sangga -- a commercial complex built some 50 years ago -- has been transformed into an “Art Road of Light.” A formerly closed-off section has been opened up, and a walking path has been built in a damp, cave-like tunnel. The name “Hongje Yuyeon” expresses the idea of healing and harmony through art as the relationship between people and water flows anew. The Yujin Sangga structure was built in 1970. It’s roughly the same age as fellow commercial complexes Sewoon Plaza and Nakwon Arcade.

It once ranked alongside them as an exclusive mixed-use complex -- but today, it appears like the relic of a bygone era stretching across the Naebu Expressway, with the left side of its roof missing, various dents in its structure, and its sign reading “Yujin Mansion.”

An old commercial building called Yujin Mansion
An old commercial building called Yujin Mansion

Inside the building, military elements testify to an era of inter-Korean conflict. The structure was originally built to prepare for the possibility of a North Korean invasion at a time when anti-communist slogans were being widely proclaimed in the wake of a 1968 presidential assassination attempt. Those who enjoy “secret histories” may find it enticing. The lower space is constructed with pilotis (an open framework of pillars to withstand loads without the use of walls), and the 100 cement columns holding up the building might have seemed desolate. But it all makes sense once you understand that the original intent was to use it as a tank encampment or create a defense line in the event of an emergency by blowing up the pillars.

Yujin Sangga drew notice once again when it was selected as a 2019 candidate site for the city of Seoul’s public art project “Seoul Is Museum.” Over the past year, one work of public art after another has been introduced, making use of light, sound, color, and technology. A section of the darkened tunnel built to park tanks is now filled with illuminated works of art.

“MoonSun, SunMoon” by Yoon Hyung-min reflects its light on the stream
“MoonSun, SunMoon” by Yoon Hyung-min reflects its light on the stream
Eight works of “light art” engage all five senses

At the entrance is a participatory work of art called “Hongje Prayer Wheel.” Subtitled “1,000 Lights,” the moving sculpture is inscribed with messages composed by 1,000 residents on the theme “light of my life.” These messages were assembled over a three-month period starting in November of last year through the Seoul city homepage, the “Seoul in My Hand” and “Seoul Is Museum” Facebook pages, and the Hongje Yuyeon Instagram page. Visitors can turn the work by hand to see them.

People crossing Hongje Stream
People crossing Hongje Stream

Citizens were lined up to take selfies by “Warmth” (Team Co-Work), which is connected together by lights attached to 42 cement pillars. It is equipped with sensors: as people approach, the color of the lights changes from red to yellow according to their body temperature. It’s an example of incorporating interactive technology. “Hongje Yuyeon Future Ecosystem” is a glow-in-the-dark wall painting that was produced in collaboration by 20 students from Inwang and Hongje Elementary Schools. The students explored Hongje Stream with an ecology expert and produced paintings of imaginary creatures. These appear all the more clearly when illuminated by light-emitting diode (LED). Visitors can also reflect on the meaning of “darkness” through eight other artworks located along the waterway, including “Light_Narrative of Light” by Mioon, “Hongje Yeonga, the Mise en Scene” by Jin Gi-jong, “Breath” by Team Co-Work, “MoonSun, SunMoon” and “Um…” by Yoon Hyung-min, “Dudurukteo” by Youm Sang-hoon, and “Sound Art” by Hong Cho-sun.

People walking through the tunnel along Hongje Stream
People walking through the tunnel along Hongje Stream
Out of the tunnel and back to the world we live in

Hongje Stream was covered over to build Yujin Sangga, which was criticized as one of the “chief offenders” disrupting the flow of nature. The stream, which stretches for 11.95 kilometers as it exits the Pyeongchang neighborhood of Jongno District, passing the districts of Seodaemun and Mapo on its way to the Han River, can finally flow uninterrupted now thanks to the Art Road of Light.

As visitors use the illuminated works of art as their guide to emerge from within the deep tunnel, they return to the world we live in. “Dudurukteo,” which consists of a small plaza, was built so that anyone could take a seat and enjoy the summer breeze. Families of wild ducks can be seen diving in Hongje Stream. One neighborhood septuagenarian visiting for a late afternoon stroll told me, “I’m from this neighborhood originally, and I like the way they’ve made it safe for children to play, not damp and overgrown like the old days.”

“The enjoyable things they’ve made in the tunnel are eerie and fun,” another said.

Here, you can rediscover how gentle light appears when darkness is deep. As you walk through the long tunnel, why not give some thoughts to the things that have lit up your own life?

Hongje Yuyeon is open daily from 10 am to 10 pm.

By Jeon Yu-an, guest reporter

Edited by editorial team at Seoul&

Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]

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