From 24ceb6955f7d45705eeb5eaab278376e2dcaae1a Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Max Kapur Date: Sun, 3 Nov 2024 19:55:54 -0500 Subject: [PATCH] Revise post: Gwangju again --- _posts/2024-11-02-gwangju-again.markdown | 40 +++++++++++++----------- 1 file changed, 21 insertions(+), 19 deletions(-) diff --git a/_posts/2024-11-02-gwangju-again.markdown b/_posts/2024-11-02-gwangju-again.markdown index f421894..a90f749 100644 --- a/_posts/2024-11-02-gwangju-again.markdown +++ b/_posts/2024-11-02-gwangju-again.markdown @@ -21,26 +21,28 @@ site of the 5/18 (1980) independence movement, in which hundreds of activists As we learned, throughout the 1980s, citizen journalists played a pivotal role in resisting media censorship and spreading the true narrative of 5/18 via -informal publications; their efforts were arguably a key factor in the eventual -success of the 1987 democracy movement. I was encouraged to hear from a panel of -CNU student journalists about their efforts to document important issues in the -community and carry forward CNU’s tradition of advocacy through journalism. +informal publications; their contributions were arguably a key factor in the +eventual success of the 1987 democracy movement. I was encouraged to hear from a +panel of CNU student journalists about their efforts to document important +issues in the community and carry forward CNU’s tradition of advocacy through +journalism. -I also reflected on the important role that art plays in shaping and sustaining -the collective narratives that energize a democratic society. Today is another -special moment in Gwangju’s history as the city celebrates Han Kang’s receipt of -the Nobel Prize in Literature. Han Kang was born in Gwangju, and one of her -novels, *Human Acts* (소년이 온다), memorializes the 5/18 independence movement. -I have to add this book to the stack, as I have only read *The Vegetarian* -(채식주의자), and only in translation. We also saw, at the [Gwangju Museum of -Art]( https://artmuse.gwangju.go.kr/ ), a pair of paintings by a student -activist who is now a senior citizen who began to paint in his retirement so -that he could preserve his memory of the movement. (Unfortunately, I can’t find -this artist’s name on the website.) Such images create a relationship between -the viewer and the events of 5/18 that rings “true” in a way that journalistic -accounts cannot. +Our discussions during the seminar also reminded me of the important role that +art plays in shaping the collective narratives that energize and sustain a +democratic society. Today is another special moment in Gwangju’s history as the +city celebrates the author Han Kang’s receipt of the Nobel Prize in Literature. +Han Kang was born in Gwangju, and one of her novels, *Human Acts* (소년이 온다), +memorializes the 5/18 independence movement. I have to add this book to the +stack, as I have only read *The Vegetarian* (채식주의자), and only in +translation. Our group also viewed, at the [Gwangju Museum of Art]( +https://artmuse.gwangju.go.kr/ ), a pair of paintings by a then student +activist, now senior citizen who began in retirement to paint scenes from the +the 5/18 movement to preserve his memory and perspective. (Unfortunately, I +can’t find this artist’s name on the website.) Such images create a relationship +between the viewer and the events of 5/18 that rings “true” in a way that +journalistic accounts cannot. -As for me, participating in this seminar meant that I got to return to the exact +As for me: Participating in this seminar meant that I got to return to the exact institution where I did [CLS in 2016]( {% post_url 2016-03-12-cls-korea %} )—my first visit to Korea—with the added perspective of eight more years of Korean study and four years of living in the country. It was a delight to show the @@ -51,4 +53,4 @@ the only limiting factor was time. After the seminar, I took a day to walk all around the Asian Cultural Center, an endless arts complex. My highlight was *Delivery Dancer’s Arc: Inverse,* a massive video installation from the studio of science fiction creator Ayoung Kim (김아영). I also enjoyed the ACC’s library, -which has a really slick reference area with art magazines and comfy chairs. +which has a slick reference area with art magazines and comfy chairs.