First Winners Honored in Cultural Contest
By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter
JEJU ― With the third Delphic Games getting into full swing, the first awards went for the artists of one-or two-stringed instruments, and in mask dance.
Mongolian Purevkhuu Temuujin won the Delphic Medal Award in Gold for playing the "morin khuur," or horse-head fiddle, in the one- or two-stringed instrument competition. A total of 16 contestants took part in the contest which was held at the Jeju Culture & Art Center on Thursday.
The contestants played unique traditional instruments such as "mochang" (India), "tumbi" (India), "bhapang" (India) and "sor kapoe" (Thailand).
Lee Seung-hee, from Korea, was grabbed the silver medal for playing the ``haegeum,'' while Sachi Minegishi from Japan won bronze for playing the ``ichigenkin''.
The Delphic Laurel Award went to Prashanna Gogoi from India who played the traditional instrument called "bin." The award is to honor the uniqueness of an exceptional local cultural tradition as well as the unique artistic personality expressed through the performer's most current, innovative work.
In the group mask dance competition, a total of eight groups participated at Sinsan Park. The Mongolian National Song and Dance Academic Ensemble won the Delphic gold medal and the Korean Bongsan Mask Dance Preservation Association earned the Delphic silver medal and Kolkata from India grabbed the Delphic bronze medal.
The Delphic Lyre Award went to Takanori Kawaharada from Japan and Zohar Cohen from Israel. The award honors the collaboration of artists of different cultural traditions.
A total of 395 contestants from 35 countries are vying in the competition's six categories and 18 disciplines until Sept. 15.
In the competition, 106 contestants are taking part in Music & Acoustic Arts; 135 participating in the Performing Arts and Crafts; 135 in Design & Visual Arts; 41 in Lingual Arts; 10 in Communication & Social Arts, and 10 in Architecture & Ecological Arts.
Aside from the competition, about 200 artists from various countries are taking part in the festival.
International performing arts troupes such as the Gypsy Devils Orchestra from Slovakia, the Rocio Vazquez Ramirez Flamenco Company from Spain, Joana Amendoeira from Portugal, Inca Empire from Peru, Apache from Ecuador and Benjamin Taubkin et Nucleo Contemporaneo from Brazil will grace the festival program.
There's an exhibition displaying the craftwork of maestro Shim Woo-sung, a contemporary master of mono-drama and scholar of Korean folk culture, at Sinsan Gallery inside the Visual Media Center through Sept. 15.
Also, the Calligraphy Exhibition showcases various languages including Latin, Arabic and Korean designed by Jill Bell, Al Shukairi Saleh Juma Muslem and Chung Byoung-kyoo so that viewers can appreciate the lush diversity of calligraphy at Sinsan Gallery inside the Visual Media Center through Sept. 15.