The College of Art & Design hosts an international symposium, Maritime Imaginary in the Age of Climate Emergency
The College of Art & Design hosted an international symposium, Maritime Imaginary in the Age of Climate Emergency, and associated workshops on Friday, October 24 and Saturday, October 25.
This event aimed to explore how, amid the climate crisis, art can contemplate and communicate themes of time, ecology, and coexistence. It brought together artistic directors, curators, and scholars from the humanities and sciences to share their interdisciplinary perspectives on art, humanities, and science.
On the 24th, approximately 260 people participated in the international symposium, which took place at Emerson Chapel in Case Hall. The symposium was hosted by Moon Kyung Won, Dean of the College of Art & Design, and opened with a welcome speech by Vice President for Research and External Affairs Jhungsoo Park. The Vice President emphasized the significance of the event, stating, “The Ewha Frontier 10-10 Painting Team is shaping the future of art education by fusing art and technology.” The dean also remarked, “I hope this event will offer an opportunity to address artistic responses to the climate crisis, using the sea as a medium that connects participants and audiences.”
Distinguished Visiting Professor Frances Morris CBE, former Director of Tate Modern and Chair of the Gallery Climate Coalition, chaired the symposium and oversaw its overall planning. In Session 1, Artistic Director of TBA21, Daniela Zyman, and President of the Korea Polar Research Institute, Hyoung Chul Shin, delivered talks on “Maritime Epistemology,” while Distinguished Professor Chang-hoi Ho moderated the discussion. In Session 2, Kyung-Chul Jou, Professor at Seoul National University, and John Kenneth Paranada, a British curator, gave presentations on “The Past and Future of Marine Resources.” The discussion was moderated by Professor Morris, and the session was hosted by Eunyoung Park, Professor of Art History.
Participants explored the use of the sea as a medium for artistic imagination and engaged in expansive discussions on the role of art amid the climate crisis. At the international workshop held the next day, Dr. Chitra V from Australian National University gave a lecture on the development of seaside towns and visual storytelling. The event concluded with creative art projects based on the theme of the symposium, composed and presented by young Korean curators and graduate students from Ewha Womans University.
