The entrance to Seoul Art Space Sindang in the middle of Jungang Market in central Seoul

By Kwon Mee-yoo

Jungang Market showcases traditional Korean stalls full of vitality. However, on heading downstairs through colorful entrances to the underground arcade a new wonderland of artists unfolds before one’s eyes.

This is Seoul Art Space Sindang (SASS), an old underground shopping arcade turned into some 40 artists’ studios with a small exhibition hall and common work area. Opened in October 2009, located near Sindang Station on subway lines No. 2 and 6, SASS infused a fresh atmosphere to the market which was established in 1971 and had already passed its heyday.



Some 50 out of 99 stores in the arcade were empty, but the art space has brought more vitality and diversity.

“This is an example of an idle urban space renovated to support artists,” Kim Hyo-jin of SASS said.



The artists are from various fields from fabric, paper art, pottery and metal to book art, embroidery, glass and media art. Visitors can see work in progress through glass doors and windows.

Some of the pieces are on sale at Art Market Dosirak, at the center of SASS.



Joy of handicraft

The place is even livelier on Saturdays, when it offers its “I Am an Artist, Too” program. It drew more than 2,000 people last year.

Hwang Jae-min and Seo Seo-i, university students, came to the sewing class at SASS on a date last Saturday. The class is more popular among middle-aged women, but the couple enjoyed an hour and half's needlework, making stringed pouches from brocade.



"I found out about SASS through blogs on the Internet," Hwang said. He sewed “stitch by stitch” as if he were Kim Ju-won, the protagonist of “Secret Garden,” a drama that swept the nation.

Seo said she would put her cosmetics in the handmade pouch. "I want to try the metal craft class next time," she said.

Kim Tae-ja, an embroidery master designated as an important intangible cultural asset, taught the class. “While the major purpose of my main studio is for education, the SASS studio is more to experiencing sewing,” she said. Her output at SASS includes pouches and wrapping cloth to cushions and embroidery.

“I like meeting new people here, changing every week. However, I wish they would put more time and effort into this as this is handiwork, making something with their own hands,” she said.

The programs are all free. Some are offered on a first-come-first-served basis, while others require online registration at the SASS’ community at cafe.naver.com/sdarcade. The on-site registration starts at 12:30 p.m. and popular ones close within 30 minutes.

A variety of crafts are featured, taught by the resident artists of SASS. The new March program starting Saturday will feature crafts matched with spring, such as making tree-shaped bookmarks and dishes with a magnolia pattern.

The art space offers a special experience program on April 2, celebrating Arbor Day.

People can draw plants on the window of the SASS exhibition room and make their own flowerpots. The works will be displayed in the exhibition room after.

A green auction will be held at Dosirak for works of SASS. The proceedings will be donated to the local community.

Community art project

SASS also boosts artistry in the local community.

The “Heung+Jung Store” project was to reinvigorate the merchants of the arcade working shoulder to shoulder with the artists. “Heung” means fun and “Jung” refers to affection in Korean.

SASS artists teamed up with the owners of raw fish restaurants and beauty salons to give them an artistic touch.

The glass door of one restaurant is decorated with glass art and potters made ceramic menu boards.

“The Telling of the Alley” project brings in children from the neighborhood.

The artists join 23 children from Hwanghak-dong to discover stories hidden in the alleys of the village in downtown Seoul. They explore stores selling dishes and plates, keep picture diaries and make murals with used dishes and collected objects.

Glass artists will help the children find characters from photos of the village and ultimately draw them on old walls.

Lee Seung-min, 12, is one of the “children holding the light,” participating in the alley project. He drew an alien from a photo of a traffic cone with glass powder.

Another child Gang Min-ju, said it is fun to have such place nearby. “I come here almost every day,” she said.