Hanwha Foundation of Culture to support artists

By Kim Hyun-bin

The Hanwha Foundation of Culture announced the launch of the Youngmin International Artist Residency program on Monday, aimed at discovering promising young artists in Korea and supporting their creative activities.

The program will collaborate with three art institutions: the Cite Internationale des Arts in Paris, France; the ECO Residencies in Vienna, Austria; and the Headlands Center for the Arts in San Francisco.

Youngmin International Artists Residency poster funded by the Hanwha Foundation of Culture / Courtesy of Hanwha Foundation of Culture

The foundation will select a total of four people, including artists and students majoring in art, to reside in each institution and provide support for residency fees, living expenses and airfares. The program aims to expand the activities of young artists and create a networking platform for international exchange.

The program is funded by a donation from the late Seo Young-min, the wife of Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn. She was interested in the activities of young Korean artists and left a portion of her inheritance to support the program. Starting with this year's first competition, the foundation plans to expand the scope of support to increase recipients each year.

Applicants can apply through the Hanwha Foundation of Culture website from May 2 to 14. The first round of the recruitment process involves the review of applicants' resumes and related documents, and for the second round, video interviews with overseas institutions will be held to select the final participants.

In addition, the foundation signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Centre Pompidou last month to establish and operate the Hanwha Seoul at the Centre Pompidou (tentative name). As a result of this partnership, an art museum will open in 63 Square in Seoul's Yeouido by 2025.