Venue

Former Hahm’s Surgical Clinic is one of the earliest hospitals established in Gangneung during the Japanese colonial period. It provided healthcare to the Gangwon region at a time when access to proper medical support was scarce. Dr. Hahm Taewon, the clinic’s founder, was the key figure in the development of healthcare and education in the area. He participated in the founding of the Gangwon Medical Association and contributed significantly to improving local medical infrastructure. As such, the clinic stands as a historically symbolic site—an enduring testament to the region’s public health and welfare.

In recent years, the City of Gangneung acquired the building as part of a broader urban regeneration initiative, and it was used as one of the exhibition venues for the third edition of the Gangneung International Art Festival (GIAF25).

This year’s festival engaged with the historical context of the site—a former medical clinic— to explore the concept of healing through the lens of contemporary art. Throughout history, the role of healing has taken many forms: academically, through physicians; traditionally, through shamans and spiritual practitioners; and artistically, through the work of artists. GIAF25 sought to reinterpret and reconnect these diverse approaches, inviting reflection on what role Former Hahm’s Surgical Clinic might play in healing today.

Leehaiminsun used discarded medical casts as the medium for her work, binding together traces of the body and residual presence of the space. Through her work, the cast pieces were transformed into objects of healing, evoking time and memories left behind after the body was gone.

Leehaiminsun used discarded medical casts as the medium for her work, binding together traces of the body and residual presence of the space. Through her work, the cast pieces were transformed into objects of healing, evoking time and memories left behind after the body was gone.

Minok AN, who presented a sound installation based on traditional folklore and myth at the Gangneung-daedohobu Government Office, extended her narrative into Former Hahm’s Surgical Clinic through an animated video inspired by the tale of Noinbong Peak in Odaesan Mountain.

Although it has been vacant for decades, Former Hahm’s Surgical Clinic remains deeply intertwined with the medical history of the region and the personal memories of those who once passed through its doors. The traces of life once held in this space were reawakened by artworks and visitors alike. Through layers of time and memory, the artworks offered glimpses into how healing—rooted in the past—might take new form in the present.
 
Leehaiminsun 
Kiwalim