Venue

The Gangneung-daedohobu Government Office governed the region from the Goryeo to the Joseon Dynasty. According to the Imyeongji, in 936, the office began with the construction of the guesthouse(gaeksa*) Imyeonggwan**. Its large scale, recorded as 83 kan (bays), reflects Gangneung’s importance as a major county.

At the Gangneung International Art Festival 2025 (GIAF25), Gangneung Station took on a role far beyond that of a transport node. It became the first site where the festival unfolded. It embodied the spirit of GIAF25’s theme, Esiza, Osiza—a call to gather all beings of heaven and earth—serving as the opening scene to a larger narrative. The station thus inherited the symbolic role once held by Daegwallyeong Ridge—not only a gateway into Gangneung, but a new threshold for connection and exchange.

As a structure that housed ancestral tablets in place of the king, the site holds particular architectural and symbolic importance. The main Gate of Imyeonggwan Guesthouse survived the widespread demolition of government buildings during the Japanese colonial era and thus became the reference point for later restoration efforts. It remains one of the few surviving architectures from the Goryeo Dynasty, making it an invaluable cultural asset and the only National Treasure present in Gangneung.

This historically layered site became a key exhibition venue for the Gangneung International Art Festival 2025 (GIAF25). The exhibition was a result of Public-Private Partnership between the festival, the Gangneung City Culture & Arts Division, the Cultural Heritage Division, and the Gangwon Regional Office of Meteorology. By bringing in contemporary art into the historical site, the festival offered new perspectives and experiences while shedding light on both the traditional heritage and its artistic potential.

*Gaeksa(客舍): Lodgings where members of the royal family or government officials dispatched to the provinces stayed. **Imyeong (臨瀛): Composed of im (臨, “to face” or “to approach”) and yeong (瀛, “vast sea”), the name means “facing the great sea.” The designation Imyeong was first used for the government office in 936. Later, in 1389, when Gangneung-bu was elevated to Gangneung Dadohobu, Imyeong officially became its byname (別號).

YUN Suknam
Hong Lee Hyunsook
Hrair Sarkissian
Minok AN