Table of Contents
- The Citizens' Briefing on 'Igidae Art Park and Pompidou Center Busan'
- Why is Pompidou Center Busan Necessary?
- Why Igidae? Why Now?
- Old Busan Museum of Art, Inaccessible Eulsukdo Museum… Busan Needs a Museum that Communicates with the World
- Conclusion: What Busan Needs is 'Bold Investment' and 'World-Class Cultural Spaces'
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
The Citizens' Briefing on 'Igidae Art Park and Pompidou Center Busan'
On July 15, 2025, the 'Igidae Art Park and Pompidou Center Busan Citizens' Briefing' was held at the Busan Nam-gu Office auditorium. About 300 citizens filled the seats, while some civic groups protested against the establishment of the Pompidou Center outside the event. The city of Busan is pushing forward with the ambition to create a 'world-class art landmark' through the Igidae cultural project.
This briefing included ▲ a promotional video related to Igidae Art Park ▲ an overview of the project ▲ and a Q&A session for citizens. The citizens showed enthusiastic interest, but their opinions were divided.
Some criticized it as a 'waste of budget,' while others emphasized the 'necessity of cultural content that can communicate with the world.' This diversity of opinions contributed to a meaningful discussion.
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Why is Pompidou Center Busan Necessary?
The Pompidou Center in Paris, France, is an iconic venue for contemporary art, closely linking the art world in Europe and around the globe. The city of Busan plans to allocate a budget of 110 billion KRW to build a branch of the Pompidou Center within Igidae Park. This project aims to evolve beyond a simple exhibition space into a multifunctional cultural platform encompassing art creation, education, citizen participation, and international exchange.
Busan aims to attract 460,000 visitors annually through the Pompidou Center Busan. This is expected to result in an economic impact of 441.7 billion KRW and the creation of approximately 5,800 jobs.
In fact, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain transformed a declining industrial city into a world-class tourist destination, while Naoshima in Japan transformed from a waste island to an island of art.
Busan also needs to evolve into a cultural city through such changes.
Why Igidae? Why Now?
Igidae is an area with a blessed natural environment, featuring beautiful forests, seas, and coastal cliffs. This place holds various potentials beyond being just a city park.
The city of Busan is designing a complex cultural district to develop Igidae into an 'Igidae Art Park,' which will include world-class art museums, exhibition spaces for domestic artists, sculpture gardens, forest galleries, and eco-friendly walking trails.
This project is expected to evolve into a space where art and nature harmoniously coexist.
Concerns have been raised regarding citizen accessibility and nature conservation. Nevertheless, Busan emphasizes the harmony of architecture and minimal environmental destruction as its most important values. They have consistently expressed their commitment to developing Igidae into an eco-friendly art space.
Old Busan Museum of Art, Inaccessible Eulsukdo Museum… Busan Needs a Museum that Communicates with the World
Busan has representative museums like the Busan Museum of Art located in Haeundae and the contemporary art museum in Saha-gu (Eulsukdo). However, the Busan Museum of Art has been in operation for over 25 years, and it has limitations in accommodating the latest exhibitions. On the other hand, Eulsukdo Museum mainly deals with experimental exhibitions, but struggles with attracting visitors due to its location issues. Considering the characteristics and problems of these two museums, Busan's art environment needs improvement.
Busan must establish its identity as a tourist city and develop as a center of international art exchange. However, existing museums have limitations in fulfilling that role.
Now, we need more than just spaces for local artists; we need attractive museums that people from around the world will want to visit.
In order for Busan to position itself as a global cultural hub, it must create decisive changes, even if it requires budget investments. Such a cultural landmark will be a crucial element in brightening Busan's future.
Conclusion: What Busan Needs is 'Bold Investment' and 'World-Class Cultural Spaces'
While the budget is a burden, Busan needs focus and selection to grow as a cultural hub in Asia.
It is time to break away from the outdated museum system that has relied solely on maintenance for a long time and to seek a change in the city’s image through globally recognized art spaces.
The Pompidou Center Busan and Igidae Art Park can be places that herald a new beginning. This space infused with art will revitalize the local economy and instill cultural pride in its citizens. This decision for the advancement of Busan can be seen as 'a bold yet essential choice.'
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q. What is the main purpose of the Igidae Art Park and Pompidou Center Busan projects?
The purpose of this project is to create a world-class art landmark in Busan to promote international cultural exchange and regional development.
The Igidae Art Park and Pompidou Center Busan projects aim to establish a globally recognized complex cultural space in Busan. By setting up a branch of the Pompidou Center in France, it seeks to create a platform for international exchange that includes contemporary art, artistic creation, education, and citizen participation. Through this, it anticipates advancing Busan as a cultural city, attracting around 460,000 visitors annually and generating economic and employment effects.
Q. How were the citizens' reactions to the establishment of the Pompidou Center branch in Busan?
Some citizens criticized it as a waste of budget, while others emphasized the need for expanded cultural content.
During the Busan citizens' briefing, a variety of opinions were expressed. Approximately 300 citizens participated, and some civic groups protested against the establishment of Pompidou Center Busan, expressing concerns about budget waste. On the other hand, voices advocating for the necessity of cultural spaces that can communicate with the world were also raised. These contrasting opinions have been publicized to facilitate in-depth discussions about the project.
Q. What are the problems with the existing museums in Busan?
The Busan Museum of Art is aging, and Eulsukdo Museum is facing difficulties in attracting visitors due to poor accessibility.
The Busan Museum of Art has been in operation for over 25 years and has limitations in accommodating the latest exhibitions, while Eulsukdo Museum struggles to attract visitors due to its unfavorable location. Due to these constraints, Busan lacks world-class museums and cultural spaces, which diminishes its competitiveness as a region for international art exchange and tourism resources. Thus, an improvement in Busan's art environment and an enhancement of its role as a global cultural hub are required.
Q. Why was Igidae chosen as the site for the construction of the Pompidou Center Busan branch?
Igidae is evaluated as the optimal location with a blessed natural environment and the potential for artistic and natural harmony.
Igidae boasts a delightful natural environment with beautiful forests, seas, and coastal cliffs. The city of Busan plans to develop this area into an 'Igidae Art Park' by creating a complex cultural district, including galleries for domestic artists, sculpture gardens, eco-friendly walking paths, and more. This aims to provide a space where art and nature harmonize, with an emphasis on prioritized ecological values to minimize environmental destruction.
Q. What economic effects are anticipated from the Pompidou Center Busan project in Busan?
It is anticipated to attract 460,000 visitors annually, generate an economic impact of 441.7 billion KRW, and create about 5,800 jobs.
This project plans to cultivate Busan as a cultural tourism hub, attracting approximately 460,000 visitors each year. The resulting economic spillover effect is expected to amount to around 441.7 billion KRW, creating more than 5,800 jobs. It is anticipated that cultural facilities will contribute to urban regeneration and local economic vitality, similar to successful domestic and international examples like the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao or Naoshima in Japan.
