Performance festivals are held in Seoul

Performances by famous domestic and foreign artists will be held this fall in the urban centers of Seoul. Seoul Performing Arts Festival (SPAF), which marks its 22nd anniversary, will be held from October 6 to October 30 at major theaters in Daehang-ro in Jongno-gu, Seoul, and Cecil Jeongdong Theater in Jung-gu.

The topic of this year’s festival is transition. “Transition is an appropriate topic in the post-pandemic society,” said art director Seok-kyu Choi. “The agony of artists about climate change, environment, generations, and gender will be showcased.” The festival will feature 23 performances, including plays, dance, interdisciplinary art, and experimental plays.

In particular, “Ching chang chong Sonata No. 1” by Prisma, a South Korean-German artist community, garners attention to be performed on Saturday. The experimental play, which mixes elements of play, modern music, dance, and visual art, premiered with the sponsorship of the German government last year. “Ching chang chong,” which means rock-paper-scissors in German, is a derogatory term of Asians used in Western culture. The play deals with racial discrimination experienced by immigrants in Europe, where Asian hate grew during the pandemic.

“Generation: The battle of self-portrait” by R.A.M.a., featuring 78-year-old and 23-year-old dancers, is also worth noting. It is the work of French choreographer Fabrice Ramalingam, expressing conflicts, struggle, and connection between different generations through the movement of two dancers. The performance was showcased in the Avignon Festival, a global art festival, in July this year as Avignon Off, which features performances by theater companies that are not official entries.


Ji-Hoon Lee easyhoon@donga.com