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Stereolux president seeks to bring Korean traditional music to renowned French festival
Stereolux President Laurent Mareschal, right, poses with Pohang Mayor Lee Kang-deok during a session held to discuss international, cultural and artistic exchanges between the French city of Nantes and Pohang in North Gyeongsang Province at Pohang City Hall, Nov. 10. Courtesy of Pohang City
By Pyo Kyung-min
Laurent Mareschal shows his love for 'geomungo'
Sitting in the heart of the western French city of Nantes, Stereolux is a vibrant cultural hub that attracts approximately 160,000 visitors annually. To live up to Stereolux's reputation, Laurent Mareschal, its president, has been traveling the world in search of innovative art forms to introduce in his hometown.
This time, he has set his sights on traditional Korean music, searching for artists who can join the renowned Les Nefs Nantes festival next year. The event will be held in collaboration with the Korean culture festival Printemps Coreen (Korean Spring), and is scheduled to take place at Les Machines de l'Ile, Nantes. The Printemps Coreen will be led by E’ Joung-ju, a player of the geomungo, a Korean traditional six-string zither.
The president is looking for artists with the ability to create Korean traditional music with a modern twist. In this way, he believes he can get closer to attaining his goals of fostering the creative endeavors of artists, showcasing the results to the public and presenting Nantes with a spectrum of art as varied as possible.
"Our event features many concerts introducing world music," Mareschal stressed during an interview with The Korea Times at the newspaper's headquarters in central Seoul, Nov. 9. "I am eager to bring in music from a non-European region and I am on the lookout for artists who create music that is a traditional yet modern reinterpretation of Korean traditional music."
Mareschal has a reason for prioritizing Korean traditional music over K-pop, a globally popular genre represented by prominent stars like BTS and BLACKPINK.
"I appreciate traditional music and instruments because they offer a unique vitality," he explained. "Whether it's traditional or entirely modern, computer-generated music, I lean towards sounds that I'm not accustomed to."
A scene from the Printemps Coreen festival at Les Machines de l'Ile, Nantes. Screenshot from Stereolux's official website
He is particularly interested in the geomungo, which dates back to the Goguryeo Kingdom (37 B.C.-A.D. 668).
"I initially thought it was a stringed instrument, but it also has percussive qualities," he said. "It's intriguing how the instrument can convey a sense of rhythm and beat while expressing melody at the same time."
The president also underscored that a single genre should not define a country's music.
"K-pop is gaining immense popularity worldwide, whether in the U.S. or Europe, and I want to convey to people that Korean music extends beyond K-pop, encompassing a rich variety," he noted.
Opened in 2011, Stereolux houses two performance halls and a single exhibition space. It is committed to nurturing emerging talent, and among the young artists it supports, about one in three is a Nantes local.
Asked about the value of art, Mareschal underlined that its role is more than just providing new vitality.
"It's not just about infusing freshness or vitality into my daily life," the president emphasized. "I believe life itself is incomplete without art, adding an intriguing dimension to our existence."
Mareschal also talked about the profound connection between human beings and art. "Wherever we go, whether in Korea or France, we may observe people striving to enhance the beauty of even the most essential aspects of their lives. The inseparability of humans and art dates back to prehistoric times," he said.
"I think people can dream through art, whether it's K-pop, traditional music or even a painting. Through art, individuals can anticipate the future, fostering hope and the ability to dream about something."