Korean festival, not in Korea: Spring celebration of K-culture returns to Nantes, France
Printemps Coreen celebrates heritage of Jeju Island, Gwangju and Naju, South Jeolla Province, under a theme highlighting nature's 'harmony and grandeur'
Printemps Coreen (Korean Spring), a festival centered on Korean nature, art and culture in Nantes, France, presents its 12th edition this year from May 14 to June 1, featuring programs at major cultural venues throughout the city with a population of about 320,000.
Organized in collaboration with the Korea Foundation's Cosmopolis platform and local partners, including Stereolux and Salle Paul-Fort, the festival's theme, 'Harmonie et Grandeur de la Nature' (The harmony and grandeur of nature), offers a multidimensional exploration of nature and art from Korea.
The 2025 edition highlights Jeju Island, Mudeungsan in Gwangju, and Naju, South Jeolla Province. According to the organizers, each region embodies the harmony between Korea's natural environment and its artistic expression: Jeju Island represents the sea, Mudeungsan the mountains, and Naju symbolizes human life and culture.
'This year's festival was curated to allow French audiences to experience Korea's unique natural landscapes and the art rooted within them through all five senses. We hope to deepen cultural dialogue between the two countries by presenting Korean aesthetics and sensibilities in artistic form," artistic director Lee Jung-joo noted.
The highlight exhibition, 'Jeju: Living with the Sea,' sheds light on the life and ecology of haenyeo, Jeju Island's famed woman divers. Photographer Kim Hyung-sun presents a portrait series capturing the faces of over 300 haenyeo, while artist Joung Sang-gi documents Jeju's red mistletoe and springwater through video. French director Jean-Julien Pous juxtaposes the lives of haenyeo with women cheese-makers in the Pyrenees mountains in "Resonances," reflecting on the vitality of nature and women.
The exhibition on Mudeungsan includes works by Kim Ok-lyoul, Choi Jin-kyung and Jeon Ha-eun. Kim showcases photographs taken over 10 years from the same spot each morning, evoking a meditative stillness. Choi interprets the sensory experience of hiking through vibrant color in her abstract paintings. Cho Chan-cheon and Kim Hye-sun draw inspiration from Soswaewon garden, presenting artworks that explore the relationship between humans and nature.
Naju participates as a city of natural dyeing. The exhibition 'Wearing Grass, Sunlight and Wind' focuses on the indigo plant (jjok), highlighting the ecological value and aesthetic beauty of natural dyes. In addition to displays, live dyeing demonstrations and contemporary textile artworks invite visitors to engage more deeply with the tradition and its potential as a sustainable art form.
In the performing arts, Jeju-based group The Pongnang, fusion band Sinnoi, and percussion-centered Samindong Rock reinterpret traditional Korean sounds through contemporary expression.
As part of the festival, Tte fifth K-pop World Contest will be held at Stereolux on May 24, offering a cultural exchange platform for young French K-pop fans. A separate K-pop academy will also be run for French teens.
The festival's rich curation extends to educational and experiential programs. A cultural conference will introduce Korea's traditional fermentation culture, featuring ssiganjang (aged soy sauce) and kimchi from the historical Nampa House. Urban Brook will reenact Jeju Island's traditional stone ritual (dolmatsi) with interpretive commentary. The Naju Natural Dyeing Museum will offer hands-on dyeing workshops to share themes of local identity and ecological sensitivity.
Programs for local schoolchildren include Korean crafts and animation workshops.
Following the Nantes edition, the event is scheduled to travel to Thonon-les-Bains, France, this November, further expanding the reach of Korean culture across Europe.
For more information, visit printempscoreen.com.
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