Polish Cultural Programme in Korea 2019
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between Poland and South Korea, in 2019 the Adam Mickiewicz Institute presented a cultural programme under the motto ‘separated by 7800 kilometers, connected by culture’. The series of Polish events included a culinary project ‘Poland on Fire’, open-air staging of ‘Macbeth’, presentation of folk dance music, screenings of Polish cinema classics, exhibition of Polish design, performance of Krzysztof Penderecki’s famous work and many more.
Poland & Korea: So Far, So Close
The first two decades of the 21st century in Polish-Korean relations were marked by a significant development in the field of cultural exchange. Many factors contributed to this phenomenon, such as the ongoing globalisation facilitating contacts between artistic circles from both countries, Poland's entry into the EU and the dynamic economic development that followed it, as well as the increasing openness of both Poland and Korea to the world. Ever since establishing Polish-Korean diplomatic relations, such extensive cultural collaboration was possible due to the fact that both countries have similar historical experiences, social relations and geopolitical location.
The most important among numerous Polish cultural projects organised until 2019 in Korea include a series of film, theatre, dance and music events held in 2012 under the common title of Polish October in Korea, exhibition Polish Art: An Enduring Spirit presented in the National Museum of Korea in 2015, Korean premiere of the award-winning theatre production Woodcutters directed by Krystian Lupa at the opening of the Seoul Performing Arts Festival in 2016, and two concert tours of the Sinfonia Varsovia orchestra – in 2016 and in 2018 on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Poland regaining independence. In Poland, the most significant achievement was the success of Seong-jin Cho, who in 2015 won the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition as the first Korean pianist in the history of the Competition. Another unprecedented project was the Polish edition of a comprehensive Korean art exhibition, held in late 2019 in the National Museum in Warsaw. The event was organised in collaboration with the National Museum of Korea who had hosted the exhibition Polish Art: An Enduring Spirit in 2015.
Logo of the Polish Cultural Programme 2019
Implementing such an extensive Polish cultural programme in Korea in 2019 would have been impossible without the network of contacts and partner institutions systematically developed by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute since 2009. Thanks to them, Polish cultural events were organised in collaboration with, among others, Jeju Food and Wine Festival, Uijeongbu Music and Theatre Festival, Seoul International Music Festival, Lotte Avenuel Art Hall, Cinematheque, Zandari Festa, Asian Film Academy, Seoul International Women’s Film Festival, Korea Foundation, Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange and Paju Typography Institute.
It was the joint project of the Paju Typography Institute and the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw that commenced the celebration of the 30th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between Poland and Korea. Students from both universities took part in the competition to design the logo of the celebrations organised by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute. The logo awarded the first prize by Jury of teachers of both universities and recognised graphic designers from Poland and Korea was also selected by the Executive Committee representing institutions from both countries as the official visual identification of the celebrations of the 30th anniversary of Polish-Korean diplomatic relations.
May: Film, Folk & Fire
In May 2019, Polish chef Karol Okrasa represented Poland at the 2019 Jeju Food and Wine Festival held on Jeju Island in Korea. He prepared a special menu titled Poland on Fire, referring to the Polish tradition of smoking food. Thus, he also related to the Korean tradition of grilling meat and fish over charcoal. The event was accompanied by industry meetings and a special Cooking Show for the Korean media and representatives of the Korean Ministry of Agriculture.
At the same time, the first Polish Film Festival in the history of Polish-Korean relations was held in Seoul. The festival audience at the Cinematheque Art Cinema had a unique opportunity to watch selected classics of Polish cinema, including films directed by Andrzej Wajda, Wojciech Jerzy Has and Andrzej Munk as well as more recent productions, such as Oscar-nominated Cold War directed by Paweł Pawlikowski. The special guest of the Festival was film director Joanna Kos-Krauze, while historian Dr. Łukasz Jasina delivered a lecture on the history of Polish cinema.
May also saw the presentation of Polish theatre and folk music at the Uijeongbu Music Theatre Festival. The Festival opening featured an open-air staging of Macbeth performed by Biuro Podróży Theatre, while at the closing of the event the band Tęgie Chłopy conducted workshops for children and played lively dance music of Kielce region.
ABCs of Polish Design & Maestro Penderecki at SIMF
Another major event was a unique exhibition titled ABCs of Polish Design presenting works of the most outstanding Polish designers in the context of the centenary of Poland's independence. Among the 100 showcased designs, alongside furniture, glass or porcelain universally associated with design, were several less obvious objects, such as typefaces, logos, children's toys, a locomotive, a neon, a glider or a scooter. Visitors had an opportunity to see unique objects and prototypes that never entered mass production. The exhibits included both contemporary designs and those already considered classics. The exhibition, presented many times abroad, opened in September 2019 in the prestigious Avenuel Art Hall in the Lotte World Mall in Seoul and in October 2019 in the Lotte Mall Gallery in Incheon.
In late October 2019, Polish cinematographer Karina Kleszczewska conducted lectures and workshops at the Asian Film Academy as part of the long-term collaboration between the Adam Mickiewicz Institute and the Busan Film Festival. The Asian Film Academy is an educational programme accompanying the Busan Film Festival inviting young filmmakers from all over Asia. The Academy had previously hosted such Polish film artists like Krzysztof Zanussi, Ryszard Lenczewski, Jerzy Zieliński, Bogumił Godfrejów and Artur Żurawski as guest lecturers.
A great attraction for music lovers was the opening concert of the Seoul International Music Festival which took place in October 2019 in the prestigious Seoul Arts Center. The concert featured the KBS Symphony Orchestra performing Maestro Krzysztof Penderecki’s monumental work St. Luke’s Passion.
October 2019 also saw the premiere of the Polish-Korean album Möbius released as the result of the collaboration between the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, Sinfonia Varsovia and Seoul International Music Festival. The album includes compositions by Krzysztof Penderecki, Jeajoon Ryu and Gunyong Lee performed by the Sinfonia Varsovia orchestra conducted by Grzegorz Nowak and Ralf Gothoni.
In 2019, the Adam Mickiewicz Institute established collaboration with the Seoul International Women's Festival. The Institute also participated in PAMS, the most important performing arts fair in Asia. The event, hosted annually by the Korea Arts Management Service, features performing art shows from Korea and abroad, as well as lectures, meetings and other networking activities.
The 2019 Polish cultural programme in Korea was carried out in collaboration with the Polish Embassy in Seoul.
Source: press materials, originally written in Polish by EC, 15 Apr 2019, translated by AW, 26 Apr 2019
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