<Beyond all familiarities>
There must have been a sign somewhere.
We failed neither detecting microscopic cracks nor to respond properly.
Changes took place in a very different way in its shape and speed from the life story we estimated and prepared for.
As all the things took for granted – breathing, moving, meeting and talking to each other- have been stopped suddenly, the world which was built up solidly with all the familiar things was shattered into thin fragments like thin ice.
Virtuality like reality, and vice versa.
The worlds of dichotomy that cannot coexist are being mixed as if melting on an ambiguous boundary.
In which direction should we step?
The landscape of the airport, which has been moving our lives back and forth with constant taking-offs and landings, is getting blurred into a space of imagination and memory.
But,
People are setting out on a journey into a world of images and stories built by digital and data transmitted in real time, as they started to perceive that there’s more than they see.
We already had the ability to move freely between different times and spaces.
So, we have created a new terminal at the airport: the departure and destination of our travels.
Unless you are taken away by the mistrust that permeates your mind,
We can walk through An Gyeon’s ‘Dream of Strolling in a Peach Garden’,
be sucked into the big bang and black hole of the universe,
and enjoy the scenery of Sao Paulo, Paris and Montreal.
And you can escape from the flat linear time flow of the past, present and future.
Let’s go on a trip.
Beyond Reality, a world that exists beyond what we see,
Beyond all familiarities
With a fluttering heart
<A Journey to discover new realities>
“Beyond Reality over Incheon Airport” is part of the international event “Digital November”, the digital cultures festival organized by the French Institute. It is financially supported by this cultural institution, which plays an important role in creating and promoting French works around the world. More than 60 countries on 5 continents will take part in this festival by organizing numerous events to decode, create, play, and reflect together on digital technology in all its forms.
In this unusual year of 2020, with great limitations on international travel, we are encouraged to invent new forms of traveling. Journeys towards new horizons, environmentally friendly journeys, imaginary journeys to new worlds . That is the experience we wish to offer you, through this exhibition: “Beyond Reality over Incheon Airport.”
This project combines the strengths of Korea, a country of rapid adoption of innovative technologies, and France, a land of creation in virtual reality. We invite you to a unique, futuristic experience, in search of the “New Normal”. For years, France has invested massively in the creation of virtual reality contents, which has given the country a leading role in this rapidly evolving field. What better space than Incheon Airport to host this unprecedented experiment, the ode to travel and singularity.
The inventive and sophisticated content curation of BIFAN / Beyond Reality, a festival that is recognized for the quality of its programs, will transport you to a New Dimension, “beyond reality”. You will be able to go back in time and attend the trial of Nelson Mandela’s mentor, Walter Sisulu. You will cross the universe, jump into a black hole and listen to the songs of the planets. You will climb to the top of Everest, explore every nook and cranny of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. You will discover these imaginary worlds without having to move, with your feet firmly on the ground.
I would like to thank the BIFAN / Beyond Reality and Incheon Airport teams for allowing us to explore these new universes together. Embark with us on a trip to the intersection of Reality and Virtuality, of Korea and France, of Arts and Technology.I wish you all a wonderful journey.
Philippe LefortAmbassador of France to the Republic of Korea
Jay Kim
XR Curator, BIFAN