Fountain of Light: Carrying the Spirit of May 18 Through Media Arts
Interview with General Director Yoo Jae-heon and Media Art Group Universal Everything
By Gwangju Dong-gu District Office
Ask any Gwangju citizen and it is almost certain that they know about “the fountain” (분수대). Located at the May 18 Democratic Plaza in Dong-gu, it is a significant landmark for the city. In 1980, this was the very place where citizens gathered, exchanging words of support to win over the military dictatorship. The area has now become the May 18 Democracy Plaza, and the fountain together with the clock tower nearby are a testament to the very history of the city. To further its function as a city landmark, a new project has transformed the fountain into a new tourist hotspot in Gwangju through the Fountain of Light (빛의 분수대) installation. It is expected to be unveiled some time in June this year.
Promoted by Gwangju Dong-gu District Office, this project started in December 2021 as part of the “Culture Center Night Scenery Foundation Project.” The fountain aimed to foster the spirit of May 18 and to be a global cultural tourism brand representing Gwangju by laying a foundation for night tourism in the city.
It functions as a regular fountain during the day, however at nighttime, the fountain comes to life with a water performance through extra-large water screens, mapping the floor of the May 18 Democracy Plaza. The hope is for it to become a new tourism spot in Gwangju. For this project, Dong-gu District Office invited artists from home and abroad to create the beautiful arts and sounds for the fountain, including general director Yoo Jae-heon, media artist Jin Si-young, composer Kim Hyung-seok, British media artist group Universal Everything, and Polish media artist Krzysztof Wodiczko.
General director Yoo Jae-heon has directed many world-class stages and media art, such as the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Olympics and the BTS World Tour, while Universal Everything has also worked on many projects in Korea, such as Incheon Airport’s “Do We All Dream of Flying?”, which was created using custom-built digital visual effect tools where each individual leaps to the freedom of the sky, as well as “Run Forever” and “Superconsumers” for Hyundai Motors and the Hyundai department store in Samsung-dong, Seoul. Below is our interview with affiliates of the project.
Dong-gu Office: Please introduce yourselves and your role in the creation of the Fountain of Light installation.
Yoo Jae-heon: Hello, my name is Yoo Jae-heon. I am in charge of the overall Fountain of Light project and the Signature 1 artwork.
Universal Everything: Universal Everything is a media art group based in the UK and we are active as a global channel. We create inspiring works of art to commemorate the values of Gwangju’s civil liberties and democratic history. The theme of “Democracy, Peace, Freedom, Progress” was selected at the May 18 Democracy Plaza, which is an important venue of democratization in Korea, and contains artistic interpretations as digital art.
Dong-gu Office: You have both been working on world-class projects. How did you get involved in this Fountain of Light project?
Yoon Jae-heon: In 2018, I visited the Asia Culture Center for business, and as I came into contact with places containing the history of May 18, I felt as if I was being taken back into the history of 40 years ago. From then on, the thought of wanting to do artwork that contains the temporal and spatial meaning of a fountain, which has great significance for democracy in Korea, began.
Universal Everything: We are interested in how humans and living forms can be expressed with today’s visual technology, and we are continuing to explore human forms and movements in digital art. The Fountain of Light project gives us an opportunity to develop that idea and encompasses topics such as a series of games that connect Gwangju City and people. We see the Fountain of Light project as an opportunity to use a new type of canvas in culturally important and interesting places.
Dong-gu Office: Please introduce all the works of art in this project.
Yoon Jae-heon: We prepared three signature works of art that contain the spirit of democracy and human rights of May 18, with the participation of various media artists and citizens.
First of all, Signature 1 was prepared with the content about “fire and creation.” I planned this artwork in general, and writer Jin Si-Young is participating as a media artist. On the VFX side, Dexter Studio is a participant. It is a piece that consists of a gigantic kinetic torch with media and lighting direction.
Signature 2 is about “nature and circulation,” and together with Universal Everything UK, its creator, Matt Pyke, worked on a variety of world-class media art in the direction of motion graphics. As various objects symbolizing Gwangju transform, we planned an art piece that shows a fun and lively image that moves through motion graphics.
Signature 3 was done by artist Krzysztof Wodiczko, a professor at Harvard University who has been working on various world-class works of art on the subject of democracy and human rights. We transformed interviews with many people who remember the history of May 18 into media artwork.
In addition, we also collaborated with foreign artists through Port Journey, a network of creative city artists for global cultural exchange, and are planning to work with artists Aye Ko and Solbi to produce a Myanmar art solidarity project. In short, we are preparing various events spanning many art mediums.
Dong-gu Office: How do you feel about directing artworks at the fountain in May 18 Democratic Plaza, a sacred place in Gwangju which represents the spirit of democracy in Korea?
Universal Everything: We are very honored to have been offered to direct a piece of artwork for such an important space in Korea and to have our work represent a theme with the inherent meaning of democracy, peace, freedom, and progress at the fountain in the May 18 Democratic Plaza.
Dong-gu Office: When planning this newest project, is there a particular focus point that sets it apart from your previous works?
Yoon Jae-heon: Last year, for the 40th anniversary exhibition held at the Asia Culture Center Creation Space 1, I was working on the subject of “diachronicity” that spanned 40 years, and it was a very large media art exhibition that talked about healing.
This Fountain of Light project began with material about the history of democracy by the citizens of Gwangju who gathered with torches at the time of May 18, and the meaning of candles and torches has continued to have significance in modernity. In that sense, I think the torch is an important object that symbolizes democracy and human rights. For this reason, this Fountain of Light project will feature the most creative works on the subject of democracy and human rights with various foreign and domestic artists.
Universal Everything: We focus on the nature of the canvas on which all our works are shown and the audience who sees them. This project is my first attempt to introduce my work on a water screen, so we worked hard on it. Unlike in the past, we cannot predict the outcome right away, so we are creating motions and characters that can be worked on a new canvas. We are very excited and happy to be able to take on new and creative challenges through the medium of water screen.
Dong-gu Office: What message would you like the convey with the Fountain of Light project to the citizens of Gwangju?
Yoo Jae-heon: It is very moving to see that the things I personally have been waiting for and planning are gradually coming true one by one. This project is so meaningful to me.
As a project that represents an era of time and place, I hope that this project will remain as a work of art with diachronism while continuing to communicate with citizens.
Universal Everything: We believe that digital should and can be connected with people very deeply. As this artwork is being released in a public place, I hope that the audience will feel the power of the May 18 Democracy Plaza along with a sense of ownership of the space. By placing the common sense of purpose and group movement, which are important themes for Gwangju citizens, at the center of our work, we hope that the audience will be able to see the power and heart of Gwangju within themselves. In addition, we hope that this media art will allow citizens to experience and enjoy the emotions while full of joy.
Translated by Karina Prananto.
All photographs courtesy of Gwangju Dong-gu District Office’s Tourism and Culture Department.