Int'l Craft Fair Kicks off in Cheongju

Int'l Craft Fair Kicks off in Cheongju

CHEONGJU, South Korea, Sept. 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- An international craft fest rang up the curtain on Wednesday in a central South Korean province with music and dance performances in its eighth biennial exhibition of contemporary craftwork from here and abroad, the organizing committee said.

(Photo: http://www.prnasia.com/sa/2013/09/12/20130912133418560891.html )

The 2013 Cheongju International Craft Biennale kicked off with an opening ceremony in Cheongju, 137 kilometers south of Seoul, attended by 1,000 guests including artists, regional government officials and citizens.

"Culture is not only preserved for the rich but also for all those who enjoy it. Let the Craft Biennale be an opportunity for us to embrace our dream, value of culture and power of citizens," said Han Beom-deuk, mayor of Cheongju and the chairman of the organizing committee, in a congratulatory address.

The biennale will show some 6,000 pieces of craftwork by more than 3,000 artists from 60 different countries for its 40-day run till Oct. 20, under this year's theme of "Something Old, Something New".

The opening ceremony began with a performance by a municipal art company consisting of a symphony orchestra, a choir and dancers.

Citizen participants made their own opening show by cutting the knot together that tied the huge patchwork sewn by 30,000 Cheongju residents using 1,004 pieces of old banners.

The exhibits are being displayed at a defunct tobacco factory that used to be an industrial landmark of the city.

"The tobacco factory which had been the spring of citizens' lives and economic development is now on the cusp of transforming itself into a hall of art and culture," Han said.

The exhibition was co-directed by a Korean artist and a Japanese pottery expert -- Park Nam-hee and Kenji Kaneko -- for the first time since its debut in 1999.

SOURCE Cheongju International Craft Biennale Organizing Committee

Cheongju International Craft Biennale Organizing Committee


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