[Life In Korea] Delivering 'taste of life' via street art

For Mr. Tongue, this was both a point of excitement and caution, especially in Korea.
“Because it is an imported culture, a lot of the general public lack the knowledge of it. When I talk to people (in Korea), they know it’s from New York and they say it’s through vandalism. Yes, that is all true, but it is also the biggest art movement that is happening all over the world -- there has never been anything quite like this. So I hope that collaborators would not just utilize street art as a temporary commercial appeal for younger generations, but also really dig deep into the significance of both the artists’ work and the street art culture.”
Mr. Tongue added that the respect goes both ways. For international street artists coming to Korea, he hopes they would take time to respect and get to know the depth of Korea’s culture, community, architecture and people.
“There’s a lot of beauty here,” he said.
Street art and hip-hop culture — from New York to Seoul
The style of street art that originated in New York and Philadelphia in the 1960s is believed to have been introduced to South Korea in the early 1990s in tandem with influences of hip-hop culture.
Gatherings in underground tunnels near the Han River by some of Korea’s first-generation graffiti artists such as Vandal, KOMA, Houdini, Santa and Garu soon spread to areas of Seoul like Hongdae, Apgujeong, Sinchon and Itaewon, according to a TimeOut report. However, in 2015, the Korean government stepped up punishments and cracked down to curb the growing number of graffiti works across the country.
For Mr. Tongue, being a street artist in Korea without speaking the language or understanding the culture posed unique hurdles. For street artists, knowing how to hide in the shadows is crucial, however, not only was Korea teeming with surveillance cameras, but being unable to speak or read Korean street signs often slowed him down.
“In one instance, there was a sign saying that it was a construction site, but because I couldn't differentiate on the spot if it was about construction or if it was about some legal issues, I avoided having contact with that area entirely. So it does help if you're able to read Korean a little bit so that you can better navigate the streets while living in Korea.”
相关文章
Court clears cabbie in death of passenger who jumped out of moving taxi
A 66-year-old taxi driver whose passenger jumped out of his moving taxi and was then killed after be2023-11-30합의문도 없는 희한한 북·러 정상회담…결국 비즈니스 관계였나
김정은 북한 국무위원장이 13일 러시아 보스토치니 우주기지에서 블라디미르 푸틴 대통령과 정상회담, 연회 등 일정을 진행한 뒤 다음 방문지를 향해 떠났다고 노동당 기관지 노동신문이2023-11-30- 이재명 더불어민주당 대표의 1년간에 걸친 ‘방탄 공성전(攻城戰)’은 결국 내부에서 무너졌다.국회는 21일 본회의에서 이 대표 체포동의안을 무기명 표결에 부쳐 찬성 149표, 반대2023-11-30
한동훈, 체포안 설명 8분 넘기자…“짧게 합시다” “왜 이리 시끄럽냐”
제1 야당 대표 체포동의안 표결은 팽팽한 긴장감 속에서 진행됐다. 21일 오후 국회 본회의장에 들어선 더불어민주당 의원들은 서로의 마음을 확인하려는 듯 삼삼오오 모여 이야기를 나눴2023-11-30Criminal procedures for foreigners in Korea
As of the end of September, the number of short-term and long-term foreign residents in Korea was 2.2023-11-30- 이재명 더불어민주당 대표의 1년간에 걸친 ‘방탄 공성전(攻城戰)’은 결국 내부에서 무너졌다.국회는 21일 본회의에서 이 대표 체포동의안을 무기명 표결에 부쳐 찬성 149표, 반대2023-11-30
最新评论