(c) Korean Cultural Center in Shanghai
The Korean Cultural Center in Shanghai, in collaboration with the Asia Culture Center (ACC), is hosting the special exhibition "Others Inhabit Our Bodies" from July 3 to September 5 at the center’s 3rd-floor exhibition space, highlighting the values of accessibility and inclusion.
This exhibition is a disability art project introduced by the ACC last year, aimed at promoting artistic creation by people with disabilities and expanding cultural accessibility. Designed for both disabled and non-disabled people to enjoy and participate in together, the exhibition views disability not as a deficiency or limitation, but as another way of living, exploring the possibilities of a society where different bodies, senses, and experiences coexist.
The title, "Others Inhabit Our Bodies," is borrowed from a passage in Kim Won-young's book, Fully Equal and Extremely Discriminatory, and captures the meaning that the human body does not exist independently but is formed and transformed through relationships with others.
This is the fourth traveling exhibition, following stops at the ACC, the Korea Disability Arts & Culture Center’s Modu Art Space, and the Gimpo Cultural Foundation’s Gimpo Art Village. It is particularly significant as it marks the first time that ACC's disability art works have been showcased overseas.
Participants include Eom Jeong-soon, Song Ye-seul, Hamy Klementowicz, Aya Momose, Kim Won-young, Son Na-ye, Yeo Hye-jin, Lee Ji-yang, and Ha Eun-bin, who are active in the fields of barrier-free, disability, participatory, and interactive art. Visitors go beyond mere observation, using their own bodies and senses to interact with the works for a new artistic experience.
Notably, the exhibition features new works by China-based disabled artists Alice Hu, Zhai Jin, and Huang Te. The collaboration between Korean and Chinese artists with different cultural backgrounds and sensibilities is expected to serve as an opportunity to expand the values of accessibility and inclusion across the East Asian region.
Kim Sang-wook, Director of the ACC, stated, "This exhibition captures the process of different bodies, senses, and experiences meeting and forming relationships, while viewing disability from a new perspective. I hope this artistic experience of understanding and connecting beyond borders will reach more people."
Lee Dong-hyuk, Director of the Korean Cultural Center in Shanghai, remarked, "This exhibition is one that anyone can empathize with and enjoy, regardless of disability. In a modern society flooded with information, it demonstrates the possibility of communication through the senses rather than language. It is meaningful that the ACC's first overseas traveling exhibition of disability art is being held here. I hope this exhibition will lead to more active exchanges and cooperation between our institutions and art organizations in Shanghai."
Meanwhile, the center will host "K-Movie Week" in its performance hall, screening selected barrier-free films and Korean movies that deal with disability.
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