Cultural exchange between Korea, France to be strengthened in second half of the year
'France has had a strong presence in contemporary creation, which continues to extend into areas that people might not typically expect, such as digital art and webtoons and other emerging fields," Pierre Morcos, cultural counselor of France in Korea, said Tuesday at the Embassy of France in Seoul.
"Through artistic collaboration with Korea, we hope to explore and foster a sustainable and mutually enriching relationship,' he said.
A number of French classical musicians, including violinist Olivier Charlier and pianist Emmanuel Strosser, will perform at "Music in PyeongChang,' a classical music festival held July 23- Aug. 2.
Renowned French fiction writer Bernard Werber, who rose to prominence globally with his book 'Empire of the Ants,' will meet Korean audiences on Sept.1 at the French ambassador's residence in Seoul to introduce the author's new novel, 'The Age of Chimera,' set to be released locally on Aug. 20.
The South Korea-France partnership is expected to be prominent in visual arts. French gallery Bernard Bouche will join the fourth edition of Frieze Seoul, scheduled from Sept. 3 to 6 at Coex in Seoul. Coinciding with the art fair, a survey exhibition of French American artist Louise Bourgeois will open at Ho-Am Art Museum in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, from Aug. 21 to Jan. 4, 2026.
Works by Paul Cezanne and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, on loan from the Orangerie Museum of Paris and the Orsay Museum, will be featured at an exhibition at Seoul Arts Center from Sept. 19 to Jan. 25.
Attending Tuesday's press conference were French artists Floryan Varennes and Mona Oren. Varennes is participating in an embassy-supported residency program from June to August at Villa Busan; Oren will participate in the Cheongju Craft Biennale, which kicks off Sept. 4.
The second cohort of the Korea-France Film Academy, established by the Korean Film Council and Centre National Cinematographie in France, will take part in the Busan International Film Festival in September.
To celebrate next year's 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries, Culture Minister Yu In-chon and French Culture Minister Rachida Dati signed a letter of intention on cultural cooperation in May in Paris, covering a record 492 official events — 389 in the cultural field alone — to strengthen the bilateral partnership.
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