[비즈한국] From the April 19 Revolution in 1960 to the emergency martial law in 2024, the "declarations of the current situation"—the voices of citizens that have traversed South Korea's history—are being reborn through visual language.
The "Zeitgeist" project, organized by graphic design studio "Everyday Practice" and featuring top-tier professional designers from 63 individuals and groups, is a special attempt to visually re-examine democracy and the role of citizens. Through posters designed based on declarations issued during pivotal moments in modern Korean history, the project visually articulates the resistance of citizens against the abuse of power and the values of democracy.
Planned immediately after the emergency martial law on December 3 of last year, this project began with the archival of over 220 major declarations of the current situation issued over the 65 years since the April 19 Revolution. Following this, a gathering of prominent designers—ranging from notable emerging talents to widely recognized masters—spent over a month selecting desired words or sentences from these declarations to transform them into posters and other design works.
The participating designers agree that the lessons contained in the phrases and words of past declarations are highly relevant to the crisis of democracy we face today. The shared motivation among the designers is that "visual statements capturing the voices of citizens can contribute to redefining democracy in our society today." In this sense, the project also serves as a "designer's declaration of the current situation."
The 63 graphic design groups participating in the "Zeitgeist" project plan to sequentially post their works on social media, such as Instagram, starting January 10. Each work can be collectively found by searching hashtags such as "#ZeitgeistProject" and "#DeclarationOfTheCurrentSituationPoster." On January 24, the "Zeitgeist" website will launch, allowing all works to be viewed together alongside the historical events that inspired them.
An offline exhibition is also scheduled to take place from February 24 to March 17 at the "Realation Space" gallery in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. As it is a non-profit project, there is no admission fee, and the exhibition is open to the public.
The costs for gallery rental and exhibition production were sponsored by various companies and organizations that resonated with the project's purpose, including AG Typography Institute (font support), SAA (silkscreen poster printing), Realation Space (exhibition venue), Saerom-i (exhibition construction), Ahn Graphics (exhibition catalog publication), and First Kyungil (catalog production). Detailed information regarding the exhibition will be available on the website in the future.
The team at Everyday Practice, who organized the "Zeitgeist" project, stated, "Despite experiencing an impeachment just eight years ago, we find ourselves today in a state of chaos where similar history is repeating itself. It is time to reflect on whether the lessons learned from the 1960 April 19 Revolution, the 1980 Gwangju Uprising, and the 1987 June Democracy Movement are gradually fading in today’s society."
They further explained the project's intent, adding, "This project is the result of exploring ways for designers to speak out in society today by summoning declarations of the current situation that captured the voices of citizens at inflection points in modern history and reconstructing them through visual language. It is an attempt to look beyond the dismissal of a specific regime and envision the form of democracy that must be built by the hands of its citizens."
Participating Artists (in alphabetical order)
Kang In-goo, Kang Hye-rin, Kwon Min-ho, Kwon Jun-ho, Kim Kyung-sun, Kim Kyung-chul, Kim Eo-jin, Kim Young-na, Kim Eun-ji, Kim Eui-rae, Kim Jae-young, Kim Tae-ryong, Noh Do-kyun, Lohotype, Lift-Off, Moin Bee, Moon Jang-hyun, Min Koo-hong Manufacturing, Min Dong-in, Park Kum-jun, Park Min-ji, Park Se-hee, Park Yu-sun, Park Ji-eun, Park Chae-hee, Seok Chang-hee, Sunday, Studio Heech, Sparks Edition, Cement, Shin Myung-sub, Shin Ji-woong, Shim Woo-jin, Ahn Mano, Ahn Byung-hak, Ahn Ji-hyo, Yang Na-won, Yang Hyun-ho, OIMU, Oh Jin-kyung, Yong Sera, Yoo Hwan-jun, Yoon Choong-keun, Yoon Hyun-hak, Lee Do-ui, Lee Yong-je, Lee Chul-min, Lee Pu-ro-ni, Intergraphics, Lim Min-jae, Particle Field, Jang Ki-sung, Jeon Chae-ri, Jung Jae-wan, Jung Ho-sook, Jo A-young, Jindalrae & Park Woohyuk, Chae Byung-rok, Chae Su-jin, Choi Kyung-joo, Choi Go-ya, Chris Ro, Front Door, Ham Ji-eun, Heo Min-jae, Hwang Hyun-beom