The Daejeon Museum of History is set to offer a special lecture series, '2025 Daejeon Museum of History Lecture – Origins and Understanding of Contemporary Cultural Trends,' providing an in-depth understanding of the swiftly evolving cultural landscape of modern society. This series will take place every Thursday from June 5 to July 10, from 2 PM to 4 PM, in the main building's seminar room. Over six sessions, the lectures will cover key themes that cut across contemporary culture, offering diverse perspectives on artificial intelligence (AI), media, popular language, K-Food, and changing museum trends.
The Future of Technology and Society: The Present and Future of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Undoubtedly, the most anticipated topic in this lecture series is artificial intelligence (AI). AI stands as the 21st century's most revolutionary technology, driving a paradigm shift across all sectors of society. The lecture, 'Origins and Development of AI,' will illuminate the historical context and major developmental stages of AI technology. AI research, which began with Alan Turing's proposal of the 'Turing Test' in the 1950s, saw rapid growth with the emergence of expert systems in the 1980s and the development of big data and deep learning technologies after the 2000s. Notably, the 2016 Go match between AlphaGo and Lee Sedol deeply imprinted the potential of AI technology on the global consciousness.
The subsequent lecture, 'Practical Application Cases of AI,' will demonstrate how deeply AI has already permeated various aspects of our lives. In healthcare, it's used for disease diagnosis and new drug development, while autonomous vehicles are revolutionizing transportation systems. In finance, AI assists with fraud detection and investment analysis, and in education, it contributes to providing personalized learning content. Furthermore, generative AI, such as ChatGPT, is opening new possibilities in diverse fields like content creation, translation, and customer service. These examples will offer profound insights into how AI is bringing about changes not just in technological advancements, but across society, economy, and culture.
The Evolution of the Media Environment and the Transformation of Popular Language
Another core pillar of modern culture, the development and evolution of media, will be discussed with a focus on YouTube and social media. YouTube, which emerged in the mid-2000s, heralded the era of personal media, and subsequently, various social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok fundamentally changed how information is distributed and how people communicate. These platforms have enabled anyone to become a content creator, giving birth to the 'creator economy' and popularizing new media forms like short videos and live streaming. The lecture will analyze the impact of these changes in the media environment on individuals' daily lives, social relationships, and cultural consumption patterns.
In addition, exploring the trends in popular language culture through new coinages will delve into the dynamism of language, reflecting rapidly changing social landscapes. Neologisms, generated and disseminated through internet communities and social media, reveal the identity of specific generations or groups and serve as an important means of defining new cultural phenomena. For example, terms like 'MZ Generation,' 'Got-saeng' (living a perfect life), and 'O-un-wan' (completed today's workout) illustrate the values and lifestyles of younger generations, while 'pandemic' and 'untact' reflect specific social situations. The lecture will cover how these new words are born, what meanings they encompass, and their impact on social communication. This will help in understanding how language functions as a cultural code beyond just a tool for communication.
The Spread of K-Culture and the New Role of Museums
The global popularity of Korean food culture, centered around K-Food, is a significant example of Korea's soft power. The success of K-Pop, represented by BTS and BLACKPINK, and K-Content, symbolized by Parasite and Squid Game, has amplified international interest in Korean culture as a whole. Alongside this, Korean dishes like kimchi, bulgogi, and bibimbap are increasingly recognized not just as healthy and delicious food, but as important cultural heritage embodying the emotions and communal culture of Koreans. The lecture will deeply explore the background of K-Food capturing the tastes of people worldwide, its successful strategies in the global market, and its contribution to promoting Korean culture.
Finally, changes in museum trends raise important questions about the role and direction of contemporary museums. While museums in the past were spaces for preserving and exhibiting artifacts, today they are evolving into complex cultural spaces that emphasize education, research, communication, and connection with local communities. The advancement of digital technology enables immersive exhibitions utilizing virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), providing new experiences for visitors. Furthermore, museums' social responsibility and role are expanding, such as raising their voice on social issues, promoting exchanges between diverse cultures, and providing a forum for discussions on sustainable development. This lecture will offer insights into the direction museums should take amidst these changes.
Expected Role as a Bridge for Intergenerational Cultural Understanding
This lecture series is particularly meaningful as it is designed to bridge the gap in intergenerational cultural understanding. It is expected to provide older generations with an opportunity to broaden their understanding of rapidly emerging new cultural phenomena, and to offer younger generations insights into the background and processes through which the culture they enjoy was formed. It will be an opportunity for generations with different cultural experiences to communicate and expand their horizons of understanding together.
Lectures will be held every Thursday from 2 PM to 4 PM, lasting two hours. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis and can be submitted through the Daejeon Museum of History website starting May 28. An official from the Daejeon Museum of History stated, "We aim to expand cultural literacy through high-quality citizen humanities education programs and contribute to revitalizing the museum as a cultural space in everyday life." They added, "We will continue to breathe with citizens through differentiated content that responds to the changes of the times."
The 'Origins and Understanding of Contemporary Cultural Trends' lecture series is expected to not only simply deliver information but also provide an opportunity to critically think about the complex cultural phenomena of modern society and reflect on their impact on individual lives and the community. This will contribute to citizens actively participating as cultural subjects and leading richer lives based on an understanding of the changing times.
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