Article of Souvenirs from Earth from CultureM on Vimeo.

“Souvenirs From Earth” (SFE) was presented in Seoul at the Nam June Paik Center Sept. 29, a party at Platoon Kunsthalle Sept. 30 and a private event at Gana Art Gallery Oct.1.

Beginning Wednesday, SFE will be featured at the Culture Station Seoul and Seoul Media Square. The Seoul activities are supported by the French and German embassies, Louis Quatorze, Samsung Syncmaster and Naver.

Souvenirs From Earth is the first cable TV station broadcasting a 24/7 program of video art, film, visual art, music, installations and performances, transforming big flat screens into art terminals, giving access to the avant-garde of visual cultures. It aims to give art more visibility and create new opportunities for art professionals, investigating the ever-changing position of art in contemporary culture. It is available on French and German cable television networks. Artists and filmmakers are welcome to submit their works.

Korea Times/CultureM had an interview with Daniel Kapelian who works for the French Embassy in Korea and Marcus Kreiss, managing director on behalf of the event at the Institute Cultural Français.

(Interview)
Korea Times/CultureM: What is the aim of this event?

Kapelian: We want to attract Korean talents in video, photography, design and music and give them exposure on this unique platform that is already showing works from more than a 1,000 artists from all over the world. We also want to transform flat screens into artwork and display the new audiovisual art of the 21st century as canvas were used in the past.

Korea is a land of screens. Europe is a land of contents. SFE is the fusion.
So we plan to find the right people through this exposure to broadcast the channel in Korea in many different ways, on the cable, as an app for SmartTV...

Korea Times/CultureM: What is your role in this event?

Kapelian: Being the new audiovisuals attaché of the French Embassy and the French Institute of Korea, I have built the project of the Korean SFE venue from scratch.

I have been looking for serious partners. I found a lot of them. The German Embassy, because SFE is a French/German TV station, so it will be a premiere to have both embassies working together in this field and giving a European pulse to the venue. Then I found a very steady sponsor with Louis Quatorze who understands completely the meaning and the perspective of such a project in Asia. And then came Samsung Syncmaster, Nam June Paik Art Center, Gana Gallery, Culture Station Seoul 284, Platoon Kunsthalle, Naver and a few more. So I am very happy to launch such a beautiful project with so much enthusiasm from the Korean people, it is a good way to celebrate my first year in Korea.

Korea Times/CultureM: What made you decide to bring this channel to Korea?

Kapelian: It’s obvious. Once you see this channel, you want the others to watch it too. I think SFE is one of the best things in television the French and Germans have to offer to the rest of the world. So Korea is the next step? And then it will be China and Japan.

Korea Times/CultureM: What comes to you when you think about the art in Korea in future? And could you tell us about your future plans in this field?

Kapelian: I love the creativity and the artistic energy in Korea. I think the next 10 years will be very exciting here because Korea is opening to the rest of the world and to foreign influences.

I am curious to see how this effervescence is going to grow. I am here to enhance collaborations, co-production and to create new links and new things.
One of my next projects is going to be a magic movie bus cruising all around Korea to show French films and to create new happenings around the silver screen bringing people together to share the experience.

Korea Times/CultureM: What is your major role of this event as a managing director?

Kreiss: As founder and managing director, I represent the channel, artistically but also concerning business.

Korea Times/CultureM: Could you introduce the channel “Souvenirs From Earth?”

Kreiss: The idea is simple. Instead of leaving a TV screen black when you do not watch TV, it can be used to access an enormous richness of visual arts around the globe. This is what our program delivers.

Korea Times/CultureM: What is the purpose of this event?

Kreiss: We would like to propose the channel on a local cable network, find new artists from Korea to integrate in the regular program and a special format for Korean video art.

Korea Times/CultureM: What do you think this event would bring out eventually?

Kreiss: A good start for our channel in Korea, lots of contacts.

Korea Times/CultureM: Who is the target of this event?

Kreiss: People in the TV business, anybody interested in contemporary culture.

Korea Times/CultureM: Where did you get all of these ideas?

Kreiss: I studied filmmaking and fine arts. I always wanted to make films like a painter works on his canvas, in total freedom. But the product that came out of this, I call it "video painting,” did not have a proper market. So I also had to create the market for this, the economical base, and the best solution was TV.