September 13, 2024
SEOUL – The 2024 Seoul Street Arts Festival will take place in downtown Seoul, across Seoul Plaza, Cheonggyecheon and Mugyo-ro areas during the three-day Chuseok holiday, from Monday to Wednesday.
Over 300 artists from South Korea and abroad will participate in this outdoor celebration, showcasing 24 performances — including street theater, dance, circus acts, traditional performances, large-scale installations and interactive art pieces from eight countries, including Spain, Italy and Japan. The festival will offer 77 performances free of charge from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day.
One of the highlights is “Street is…,” a 90-minute preview gala stage on Monday evening at 6:30 p.m. in Seoul Plaza, where 10 artist groups will offer a glimpse of creativity on the streets of central Seoul.
Also on Monday evening, the eve before Chuseok, “Seoul Moon” by Project Nalda will showcase a large-scale, crane-supported aerial performance where animated rabbits evoking the traditional folkloric legend in which a rabbit is said to live on the moon will run along against the backdrop of an LED moon that is three meters in diameter, lighting up the skyline a day before the full moon of Chuseok.
Opening performance for the 2023 Seoul Street Arts Festival. PHOTO: SFAC/THE KOREA HERALD
On Tuesday evening, the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture will premiere “Quejina Chang Chang Nahneh,” which comes from a Gyeongsang Province folk song and Korean onomatopoeic expression, “How joyous and prosperous it is!” Produced in collaboration with the renowned Ahn Eun Me Company, known for its unique contemporary dance style, this performance will feature 200 artists transforming the streets into a moonlit wonderland.
The festival will also include international circus performances, acrobatic acts and installations reflecting global trends in performance art.
A standout is “Wheels & Cello” by Le Patin Libre, a Canadian troupe that will blend roller skating with live cello music, sponsored by the Quebec Government Office in Korea. Other performances include Unleash Dance Company’s “Between the Two,” which merges modern dance, rock climbing and breakdancing on a tilted wall, and Melancholy Dance Company’s “Mobility,” a fusion of longboards, drones and contemporary dance. “Trashpeze” by Wise Fools will feature three dancers from Finland and South Africa suspended in the air, unleashing explosive energy on the streets, while mysterious creatures in fluffy white survival suits will dance this way and that in a comical and thrilling street aerial physical performance for adults and children in “Survival in the City!” by Co.SCOoPP.
For those looking for more interactive experiences, the festival offers numerous performances involving audience participation. Highlights include Cia Emiliano Alessi’s “Tei Tei,” which uses masking tape to connect people in imaginative ways, while Bedlam Oz’s “Big Mob Slinky” and Youngju Kim’s impromptu mime performance will be for passersby.
For more details, visit the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture’s official website or follow the festival’s Instagram account.