October 5–31, 2019
Kim HongShik, Jinah Roh, PARK Junebum, Meekyoung Shin, Shin Jehyun, Silas Fong, LEE Leenam, Lim Kok Yoong, Sook Jin Jo & Derek Bermel, Tacit Group
Sejong the Great is the wisest and most accomplished king of Joseon Dynasty in the history of Korea. He was also well-versed in music and even wrote some musical pieces on his own. Chiwhapyeong is one of the chapters of Bonglaeui the dance music King Sejong composed himself. Here, Chiwhapyeong means “to make peace.” The usage of the term “Chiwhapyeong” in his music can be understood in relations to his another accomplishment; the creation of Korean writing system, Hangeul.
A state where everyone is at peace, that is a world where Hangeul can allow everyone to read, learn, think and therefore live like human beings. What King Sejong dreamt is not a world limited to certain people, but a world open for everyone’s peace. This is the symbolic utopia we can encounter in Chiwhapyeong.
What does mankind today ask for the most? If you lie down on the bed thinking you had a fulfilling day, you will hope for tranquility of today to last. If you are standing in the middle of a street where shells are bombarded, you will long for tomorrow different than today. Shortage of food, destruction of environment, political instability…. What do we call a state far away from all things that threaten us? Pyeong-hwa or Hwa-pyeong is the word that describes the most peaceful state. King Sejong’s Chiwhapyeong is about achieving the very peaceful state and dreaming of an idealistic society, a world where everyone can speak and write their thoughts, just like the name of the music written in Hangeul symbolizes. A world where letters are not monopolized, a world where anyone can possess knowledge and therefore no one is isolated from the truth and knowledge. That is the world Chiwhapyeong represents.
Music is shared with the whole world. This phrase probably means that music can be enjoyed by everyone. In the context of pre-modern era, enjoyment shared by everyone itself signifies the harmony of all things in heaven and earth and all people from high and low. Located in the center is Chiwhapyeong, arousing interest in the question of what does an idealistic society requires at its core and what is necessary to become a good society.
10 team/individual artists invited to this exhibition work in diverse fields such as painting, video, installation and performance. Using King Sejong’s music as their magnifying glass, each artist will interpret Chiwhapyeong in their own ways to reveal the world they live in and the ideals they imagine. What we must not forget about their works is that they are none other than visual arts. When the visual arts capture the meaning contained in the temporal arts, music, the way of the world beyond time and space and harmonious constellation of all things in the universe will be unfolded before our eyes.
Host: Sejong City
Organizer: Sejong Cultural Foundation
Sponsor: Presidential Archives
Director: Cho Eun Jung
Coordinator: Lee Yeeun
