[My Daily = Myeongdong Kwak] At a special tent set up outside the Korea Manhwa Museum in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, artist Joon Yong Moon’s ‘Chasing Stars in Shadow’ is being showcased to the audience. This is part of the ‘Augmented Shadow’ series that the artist has been exploring for over 10 years, where six shadows interact fluidly with schools of fish to create stories. When a lantern with an attached position-tracking sensor is used, the shadows engage in various activities like fishing or climbing stairs through doors. Moon stated, “The lantern is even patented,” and added, “It took nine months to weave the story, a testament to the effort involved.”
<Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival 2022: A Playground for XR (Extended Reality)>
VR (Virtual Reality) involves wearing a headset to experience an entirely virtual environment, whereas AR (Augmented Reality) adds digital layers over real-world images. XR (Extended Reality) encompasses both VR and AR, providing a broader concept.
On the 8th, Kim Jong-min, an XR curator, explained, “XR includes all digital video and cultural content,” and “it can be understood as a way to express human imagination fully.”
“Joon Yong Moon’s work is unprecedented globally. It can be experienced by walking around without a headset, interacting with shadows in a silent animation-like manner. The balance between technology and narrative is outstanding.”
On the third floor of the Korea Manhwa Museum, visitors can experience ‘Kubo’s Wandering in Gyeongseong.’ Wearing a headset, one can travel back in time to 1930s Gyeongseong, listening to the narration of Taewon Park’s ‘The Day of a Novelist, Mr. Kubo,’ riding a tram, listening to music on a gramophone, and reading newspapers from that era.
‘Missing Pictures’ is also drawing significant attention. Directors like Abel Ferrara, Tsai Ming-liang, Catherine Hardwicke, Myung-se Lee, and Naomi Kawase bring to life films they always wanted to make in a realm of imagination. Director Myung-se Lee shares an autobiographical story set in the 1960s. A conversation with the directors is scheduled for the 12th.
“There are 42 XR programs on display. XR is the future of film. By directly experiencing rapidly evolving video and cultural content, one can sense how the future video industry will change.”
<Active XR Investment in Korea, Approaching 1 Trillion Won>
Korea is actively investing in XR. The Korea Creative Content Agency operates a department for immersive video content with an annual budget exceeding 100 billion won. Including the Ministry of Science and ICT, local governments, cultural foundations, and private investments, the total approaches 1 trillion won.
“The Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival is considered one of the top three XR film festivals in Asia, alongside the Kaohsiung Film Festival in Taiwan and the Sandbox Immersive Festival in China. The Venice International Film Festival is also increasing its focus on XR. IDFA (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam) is investing heavily in R&D in collaboration with Harvard University. If Korea puts more effort into nurturing creators, I am confident we can lead the global XR trend. Visit Bucheon to experience the future of film.”
[Photo provided by Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival]
Myeongdong Kwak, reporter entheos@mydaily.co.kr
- Newspaper: My Daily
- URL: https://www.mydaily.co.kr/page/view/2022070810538907991
- Publication Date: 2022/07/08
- Author: Reporter Myeongdong Kwak