Ahead of the 2028 opening of the Incheon Museum of Art, the Incheon Metropolitan Government is launching the ‘2026 Incheon Museum of Art Pre-Project’ throughout the month of September, giving citizens a chance to experience the museum in advance and take part in the building process. It is a comprehensive arts program encompassing art lectures, a citizen-participation art festival, a public art project and a flea market.
 [코리안투데이] Guide to ‘Coloring Incheon,’ the citizen-participation art festival of the Incheon Museum of Art Pre-Project © 장형임 기자 |
The Incheon Metropolitan Government (Mayor Park Chan-dae) announced that it will begin the ‘2026 Incheon Museum of Art Pre-Project’ in earnest throughout September, ahead of the museum’s opening in 2028.
This year’s pre-project is guided by the theme of ‘an open museum created together with citizens.’ Building on the scholarly groundwork that has shaped discussions of the museum’s identity and role, the program has notably broadened its scope into participatory offerings that let citizens experience and enjoy art directly in their daily lives. Through research seminars and public forums, the city has gathered opinions from all sectors on the distinctive identity of Incheon’s art scene and the operational direction of the municipal museum; this year it plans to expand programs in which citizens take part directly, building public rapport and enthusiasm even before the opening.
The program begins with an art lecture featuring art director Han Jem-ma at the Incheon Metropolitan City Museum on Saturday, Sept. 12, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Titled ‘I Learn About Life from Paintings,’ the lecture is designed as an occasion to broaden how citizens view artworks and to share ways of enjoying art in everyday life. Registration opens online (https://litt.ly/incm_project) on Sept. 1 on a first-come, first-served basis for 70 participants, and after the lecture a drawing will award copies of Han’s book ‘Painting Mother’ bearing the author’s autograph.
Next, the citizen-participation art festival ‘Coloring Incheon’ will unfold at Aetteul Plaza of Incheon City Hall on Saturday, Sept. 19, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Conceived as an open arts field where all citizens, including children and families, can freely look, make and enjoy, its signature program, ‘A Museum Filled with Color,’ is a participatory public art project in which citizens fill empty frames on the venue walls to complete a single vast work expressing their hopes and imaginings for the future Incheon Museum of Art opening in 2028.
Other five-senses hands-on programs will run as well, including ‘Fiddly Art Playground,’ where children and families create their own miniature museums; ‘Colorful Art Playground,’ offering drawing, stone art, silkscreen and stencil experiences; and ‘Color Play Zone,’ where the plaza becomes a giant canvas for painting. Through cooperation with major local cultural and arts institutions such as the National Museum of World Writing Systems and the Incheon Foundation for Arts and Culture, hands-on and educational content reflecting each institution’s character will also be presented, strengthening links among the region’s cultural and artistic resources.
Around the venue, an ‘Emotional Flea Market’ offering handmade art goods, a ‘Distinctive Culinary Market’ introducing Incheon’s diverse food, and a ‘Colorful Resting Spot’ with photo zones and lounge areas will be set up, so that citizens can linger and relax in the festival space beyond the art experience itself.
Jeon Yu-do, director general of Incheon’s Culture and Sports Bureau, said, ‘The Incheon Museum of Art is not created the moment it opens; it is a museum built together with citizens through relationships forged in the process of preparing for the opening.’ He added, ‘I hope this pre-project becomes a time for citizens to enjoy art close to their daily lives and to imagine and anticipate, together, the Incheon Museum of Art that will open its doors in 2028.’
지역 홍보대사 신청 기자양성과정 신청 코리안투데이 지부장 신청 코리안투데이 인천강화코리안브랜드대상 신청 최고경영인대상 신청 소비자만족도대상 신청
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