Korean was chosen as the official language for the Avignon Festival.Izavel Wiefer and Lee Hye-young…Reading Han River Novels Reads The Vatican for Special Exhibition of Woo-hwan…3 new works will be released
Amid the recent rise in K-content in the global culture and arts world, this time, the heart of Europe, the home of classical performing arts and contemporary art, is deeply colored with Korean colors
This summer, Avignon in southern France will transform into a special stage where Korean art and European culture are harmonized
To commemorate the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and France this year, the French Tourism Agency introduced the 80th Avignon Festival in July and a southern French cultural tour course centered on a special exhibition by Korean contemporary art master Lee Woo-hwan
It is a rare opportunity for performing arts, contemporary art, literature, and Gothic urban heritage to blend together
a reading of a novel by the Han River that resonates on the world stage
Started in 1947 at the suggestion of director Jean Villar, the Avignon Festival is a global performing arts festival that stages the entire city every summer. This year, it will be held from July 4th to 25th
In particular, Korean was selected as an official guest language at the 80th festival. It is the first Asian language and single-country language after English (2023), Spanish (2024), and Arabic (2025)
It is the first time in 28 years that Korean works have been named in the official invitation program “In” since 1998, and nine works from seven performing organizations will be on stage this year. A variety of Korean arts, including plays, contemporary dance, pansori, and multiple arts, will meet with local audiences
The most anticipated program is Oiseau, a reading performance based on the novel by Han Kang. It will be held on July 15 and 16 at the Vatican Hall of Fame, the symbolic space of the festival. Isabelle Wiefer, a famous French actress, and Lee Hye-young, a Korean actress, will work together
Writer Han Kang will also visit the site and participate in a talk program on the theme of the artist’s work world, memory, and transmission between generations. The festival site will also be aired in Korea through JTBC’s travel program “TalkPaper 25:00” in August
_nUNESCO World Heritage Vatican Meeting with painter Lee Woo-hwan
The Vatican will also hold an exhibition that will deeply illuminate Korean contemporary art. Avignon City will hold a special exhibition ‘Relatum: Lee Ufan au Palais des Papes’ from July 3 to November 15 to commemorate the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and France
This exhibition is centered on ‘Relatum’, a core concept of artist Lee Woo-hwan, which means ‘being in a relationship’. It embodies the tension between stone and iron, space and visitors within the Vatican Gothic building, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
The spaces inside the Vatican, where the exhibition will be held, provide a different sense of immersion through the touch of painter Lee Woo-hwan. First, more than 60 tons of stone tablets are installed in the Grand Chappelle space, creating a heavy harmony with Gothic architecture
The Benedict XVI Corridor, the Vatican’s old kitchen space, Quijn Haute, and Saint-Marcial Chapel each had three new works specially made to suit the characteristics of the historical space
In addition, you can see the artist’s in-depth paintings from the 1970s to the present day in the Grand Tinel space, which was used as an old banquet hall
The deep relationship between artist Lee Woo-hwan and the Provence region is also noteworthy. In Arles, near Avignon, there is one of only three “Lee Woo-hwan Art Museums” in the world that fully captures the world of his works, along with Naoshima, Japan and Busan, Korea
If you visit the Vatican Museums in connection with the Avignon Special Exhibition and the Arles Museum of Art, you can experience the art world of Korean masters in southern France more precisely
“This cultural event in Avignon is expected to be a place to confirm the deep solidarity and cultural consensus between the two countries,” a French tourism agency official said. “If you visit southern France this summer, it will be a meaningful journey to directly confirm the pride of our culture and art, which has emerged as a leading player on the global stage along with the beautiful natural scenery of Provence.”
