The National Theater of Korea is collaborating with the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA), featuring contemporary gugak performances held against the backdrop of Korean calligraphy.

The 2020 Yeowoorak Festival, an annual festival of traditional Korean music organized by the National Theater of Korea, is to kick off on July 3, featuring 12 performances over its 23-day run. Since March, the MMCA Seoul has been hosting its first calligraphy exhibition, titled “The Modern and Contemporary Korean Writing.”

Currently, both institutions remain closed to prevent the spread of the COVID-19. Prior to the Yeowoorak Festival’s official opening, 12 artists who are to participate at the festival, will share their performances at the MMCA Seoul. The performance videos will be streamed via YouTube and Naver TV from June 30.

The performances were recorded earlier this month without a live audience. 

Artists You Byeong-wuk, Lee Min-hyung, Cho Han-min and Bang Ji-won present “Banghachak” -- featuring traditional Korean music mixed with Australian native sounds -- at the section of the exhibition titled “Calligraphy Revisited: Experimental and Unconventional Contemporary Calligraphy.”
 

Musicians Nam Seong-hun, Park Jun-hyung, Park Ji-hyun and Hwang Jin-ah perform “Running Man” against the backdrop of “Younggeunjeong” by calligraphy master Seo Hui-hwan.

 

Artists Jang Seo-yun, Choi Hui-sun No Da-eun and Kim Cho-rong perform the song “Alive” at the exhibition room of “Calligraphy Mirrors the Calligrapher: The First Generation of Korean Modern and Contemporary Calligraphers.” The lyrics of “Alive” are based on a poem written by celebrated poet 20th century poet Yoon Dong-ju.

The video streaming service will be available until July 25, the final day of Yeowoorak Festival. The 12 participating artists will hold an in-person concert, “Yeowoorak Band Project” performance, on July 8 at the National Theater of Korea in central Seoul.

By Im Eun-byel (silverstar@heraldcorp.com)