Busan's Arise reopens with new design to celebrate 2 years of artistic endeavors

People participate in a yoga life drawing class at Arise Art Space in Busan, April 18. Courtesy of Niall J. Ruddy

Over the past 30 years, Busan has been undergoing an artistic and cultural renaissance. The Busan International Short Film Festival may have started in 1980, but it was the inaugural Busan International Film Festival in 1996 that lifted Korea’s second city into global consciousness. In the autumn of 2000, the local foreign community of educators started grassroots arts events of their own centered around poetry, storytelling, theater and music. Eventually, those events started to drew strong participation from Koreans, and soon a thriving cross-cultural art community was born, contributing to Busan’s vibrancy.

Two years ago, married couple Lee Jeong-min and Niall J. Ruddy, both with extensive experience as leaders and participants in the Busan art community, identified a gap in Busan’s artistic ecosystem. TheNaughty Muse Studios and Liquid Arts network collaborators noted artists were limited to showing their work in cafés and small galleries at one end, with expensive high-end commercial galleries that require large payments to host shows at the other. There was nothing in between to welcome and offer assistance to early-career artists, so they opened their own art space for exhibitions, classes, workshops and performances.

The name Arise Art Space was chosen as an inspirational message — they want people to look up and realize they don't have to exist simply as consumers staring at phones. Ruddy, a photographer with a fine art background who published a book in 2022 exploring the remnants of the Korean War, explained, “We started the gallery post-pandemic to give our community a space to create because it was something we wanted but couldn't find."

Arise is celebrating two years of being open in Busan's Suyeong-dong neighborhood. To mark the occasion, the space has undergone a refurbishment to better reflect their desire to be a welcoming and multi-purpose creative space. Arise reopens with its new look on Saturday, with a continuous string of events including its regular open mic Nanuja Night on Aug. 29.

Ali Safavi performs during a Nanuja Night Open Mic event at Arise Art Space in Busan, June 18. Courtesy of Niall J. Ruddy

Lee — a visual artist from Busan who has exhibited locally and internationally and was the organizer of the arts group Exotic Beasts — elaborated, “We aim to give people the opportunity to learn creative skills and take part in cross-cultural exchanges."

As with many artistic endeavors, there are constant challenges, including financial hurdles. In the post-pandemic era, people are more insular and often don't have spare money for art or books.

“We want to see more creative, forward-thinking, socially conscious businesses opening," Lee said, "but it's really difficult with the economy not doing well and rental prices remaining high."

Despite their struggles, the couple loves what they do and are committed to continuing. “Art, music and poetry have tied the human race together since we were able to create it. We are in constant conversation with our ancestors through the arts, and we want to be a small part in continuing that in Busan," Ruddy noted.

Arise embraces three core values: creativity, community and care. The refurbishment concentrated on making the space more comfortable and versatile. Arise has not only featured Korean and international artists equally, but ensured its accessibility for both early-career and established artists. Arise’s most notable exhibitions have included works by Tim Franco, an internationally renowned photographer; Fintan Whelan, featured twice in the Venice Biennale; and Moayed Abu Ammouna, a photographer currently based in Gaza.

Fintan Whelan, second from left, speaks during an event at Arise Art Space in Busan, March 7. Courtesy of Niall J. Ruddy

Arise’s growing program has also attracted the attention of the 2026 Busan Biennale. During the Biennale in September and October, Arise will collaborate with 15 local galleries across Busan for Polyphonic Lab: Busan, a collaborative city-wide exhibition project.

Saturday's reopening represents a reinvestment in their mission to do more for the community, despite the challenges.

Visit ariseartspace.com for more information.

Kenneth May is a member of the last Free People’s Poetry Workshop led by Etheridge Knight in Indianapolis from 1989 to 1991. Since 1996, he has lived in Busan. He is the founder and creative director of The Liquid Arts Network, an art collective dedicated to presenting art, supporting artists and connecting communities since Nov. 11, 2000. Follow @liquidartsnetwork on Instagram for more information.