Quirky art fills abandoned animal center for 7th Anyang Public Art Project

An old, abandoned animal quarantine center in Anyang, Gyeonggi, with its shabby walls and painfully obvious lack of air conditioning, has been given a new breath of life as it has been turned into an exhibition full of quirky artworks.

"Creature" by Lee Byung-chan [ANYANG FOUNDATION FOR CULTURE AND ARTS]

An old, abandoned animal quarantine center in Anyang, Gyeonggi, with its shabby walls and painfully obvious lack of air conditioning, has been given a new breath of life as it has been turned into an exhibition full of quirky artworks.

This is part of the seventh edition of the Anyang Public Art Project (APAP), a citywide project starting Friday that will present new artworks in public spaces and redevelop them with fresh stories. Hosted by the city government and organized by the Anyang Foundation for Culture and Arts, it is Korea’s biggest and longest-running public art project, run since 2005.

APAP’s host city Anyang is located to the southwest of Seoul and is not the typical art hub of Korea, but rather a symbol of urban growth and industrial factories.

With the number seven being a common symbol of good luck, artistic director Kim Sung-ho has taken the cue to amp up the project's quality and scale this year.

It is also the 50th anniversary of Anyang’s elevation to city status.

"Palletseum" by Kook Hyoung-gul [ANYANG FOUNDATION FOR CULTURE AND ARTS]

Each edition of APAP has been held in numerous places across Anyang, including at Anyang Art Park, Anyang University and Anyang Museum, and have typically consisted of installations and outdoor sculptures.

Though it’s usually been held every two to three years, it was forced to postpone its seventh edition, or “APAP7,” until this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The last edition was in 2019. To celebrate its return, APAP7 has placed heavy emphasis on a large-scale indoor exhibition, to “spark discourse on subjects that are difficult to deal with outdoors,” Kim said during a press preview of APAP7 at the Anyang Arts Center on Monday.

“In the past, APAP was centered on installing artworks outside, but I wondered what we could talk about inside,” Kim said. He decided that he wanted to dive into themes like human society, the ecosystem and future technology in the indoors exhibition while also preparing an online version for those unable to visit in person.

The target of this grand transformation was the abandoned headquarters of the Animal Plant and Quarantine Agency (APQA), which has remained idle since 2016 after its office moved to Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang. Kim had gotten permission from the city government to give the building a new purpose by allowing visitors to explore the halls and rooms of the old building, in which the artworks were creatively arranged.

Artistic director Kim Sung-ho of the seventh edition of the Anyang Public Art Project gives the press a tour of the former Animal Plant and Quarantine Agency building in Anyang, Gyeonggi, on Monday. [SHIN MIN-HEE]

Artworks from 88 artists of 24 different nations each distinctively contribute to APAP7’s theme, “ZONE 7 – Your Imaginary Space.”

The artists made sure to utilize their imagination to its fullest, as shown in pieces like “Public Planet_Spotted Road” by Kim Yu-jung, which is like a brief jungle experience. Described as an “ecological passage,” it consists of tillandsia, an air-purifying plant native to forests, mountains and deserts, hanging like vines from the ceilings and draped across the stair handrails.

“Perfect Family. Inc” (2019) by Park Hye-soo [ANYANG FOUNDATION FOR CULTURE AND ARTS]

“Perfect Family. Inc” (2019) by Park Hye-soo is a fictional corporation that “redefines the traditional notion of family” by providing roleplaying services. It proposes the idea that, in the future, family may not necessarily be based solely on the premise of blood-related ties.

Others, like “Strange Season” by Jung Jae-hee, take a humorous approach in reflecting on the ecology. In a room full of greenery are pairs of electronic devices that directly contrast each other in blatant irony, like an air conditioner and heater next to a humidifier and dehumidifier.

They all faithfully perform their respective roles that cater to the needs of humans, but they are only “perfect” when they are separate. The fact that they are put together only breaks the harmony, according to Kim.

“Public Planet_Spotted Road” by Kim Yu-jung [ANYANG FOUNDATION FOR CULTURE AND ARTS]

Since the project’s identity is based on public art, Kim made sure that anyone in Anyang could enjoy APAP7.

“We wanted to create a festival-like experience as well, which is why we prepared a lot of events and programs for the community,” he said.

These programs include “art camps,” which are educational lectures given by Anyang-based artists that students attending middle or high schools in Anyang are welcome to attend, and academic conferences to discuss the roles of public art and how they can be implemented in Anyang.

There is also an outdoor exhibition held at Anyang Art Park that consists of three installations. The sculptures are set to last even after APAP7 ends in November, one for a year and two for five years — and they are “hoping to make them permanent later on,” according to Kim. “It’s our attempt to turn the entire city into one whole gallery.”

"Reflected Landscape" by Woo Jong-taek [ANYANG FOUNDATION FOR CULTURE AND ARTS]

There are also docent tours at both the APQA building and the Anyang Art Park, available in English. The APQA building tour is held on Sept. 9 and Oct. 14, both at 1:00 p.m., and the Anyang Art Park tour is on Sept. 23 and Oct. 28 at 1:00 p.m. Reservations can be made on the APAP7 website.

APAP7 continues until Nov. 2. The indoors exhibition is open every day except Mondays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. All exhibitions are free to the public.

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]