Volunteering in the Kubuqi Desert

Caring for the Environment

Written and photographed by Kim Da Jeong

When I was in the second year of university, I started searching for extracurricular activities and became interested in volunteering abroad. Through this interest, I got the chance to go to the Kubuqi Desert in Inner Mongolia, an autonomous region of northern China. Full of anticipation, I left for the Kubuqi Desert curious about the environment in which other people live and wanting to both get away from the familiarity of home and help others while exploring a corner of our global world.

I spent the first day in Beijing. Our volunteer activities were related to preserving the environment. To do this, we had to know what environmental conservation is and what role it plays. We were divided into teams and had to pretend to be at a UN meeting representing our team’s interests. At the time, I thought I was caring about the environment and was familiar with its preservation and issues. However, while preparing for the simulated UN meeting, environmental problems that I did not know about were hidden everywhere. The preparation process was difficult, and I was not used to discussions in a group, but I think it was a good experience for me.

Our volunteer activity mainly consisted of planting trees in the desert to prevent desertification, which is progressing rapidly. Even if trees are planted in the desert every year, desertification will still proceed, but we were trying to slow it down as much as possible. I had always thought that planting trees was hard work, but I found it to be several times harder than I had imagined. We were told that it was necessary to dig at least 130 centimeters into the ground to increase the chances of the plants surviving. Of the planted trees, less than half would make it. It was so painful to think that the vegetation I had planted would die. Until the last day of my volunteering there, I gave tender-loving care to the young trees I had transplanted so that they would be able to survive.

In the desert, the sunlight is really strong during the daytime. We had to plant the trees in that direct, strong sunlight. As you can imagine, it was extremely hot with no place to chill. We had to drink a lot of water to stay hydrated, but the water we had was warm – even beyond lukewarm. In a normal environment, I would have complained, but in that situation, being able to drink water was something that I was grateful for. We also had to bring our own lunch and eat it all so that no food waste would be generated. In this way, I learned how precious our daily life is. Since leaving food is a part of environmental pollution, I now try as much as possible not to produce food waste.

We had a bonfire late at night to rest after a day of hard work and to enjoy our time there. The campfire was really fascinating, not to mention the endless sky with countless stars shining brightly in the night. It was the first time

in my life that I had experienced such a clear sky full of shining stars. Th at memory is still present in my mind, and I am almost convinced I will never see such a pretty night sky again in my life.

We would share stories near the fi re over cans of beer. We spoke of various worries, funny things, sad things, and family stories, fi lling the night with voices and emotions. I still have all those memories that I recall so vividly when I am feeling blue. Anyhow, that bonfi re remains a precious memory for me.

Looking back now on my volunteer experience, I am so grateful for the people I met and for the experiences I gained. Even if we were diff erent, somehow by working together, we got to know each other better and become a real team. We exchanged experiences from our daily lives and, as we learned from each other, became alike. Watching them motivated me too, and again made me think more about the meaning of life.

The Author

Kim Da Jeong is a 22-year-old college student in the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at Chonnam National University. She loves drawing and meeting people. Instagram: @ jeong_e2a

Forgotten at Home, FamousAbroad

Gwangju’s Jeong Chu

Interview by Jeong Jiyeon

Th is article is the fi rst in a series of articles designed to shed light on the life of a musician born in Gwangju, who has been forgotten in his hometown – a Korean who migrated abroad and got caught up in the turbulent history of post-WWII Korea. — Ed.

Jeong Chu, who came to be known as the “Tchaikovsky with black hair,” was born in Gwangju in 1923, when Korea was under Japanese colonial rule. As a student, he was expelled from Gwangju West Middle School in 1938 for using the Korean language. Aft er a number of twists and turns, he fi nally transferred to Yangjeong High School in Seoul and graduated from there. Th e Gwangju News has been fortunate to be able to meet with Jeong Heon-ki, a relative of the late Jeong Chu for an interview. Here we present the fi rst part of that interview.

Gwangju News (GN): Th ank you, Mr. Jeong, for granting us this interview. First, please introduce yourself to our readers.

Jeong Heon-ki: All right. My name is Jeong Heon-ki. I work as a culture and arts planner, and also operate the Horanggasi-namu Hill Guesthouse (호랑가시나무언덕 게스트하우스 ) in Yangnim-dong. As a local planner, I have created a platform aiming to transform Yangrim-dong into a cultural village. Six years ago, I founded Art Zoo, a culture and arts corporation, that manages the houses in the former Yangnim-dong missionary compound, and I opened another cultural center to support local artists – Horanggasi-namu Creation Center.

Jeong Chu at the piano.

GN: We would like to ask you about the composer Jeong Chu (정추). What is your relationship with him? Jeong Heon-ki: Jeong Chu was my grandfather’s cousin. Since I was young, I have heard stories about our relative who lived in Russia, a man who I had never met. My family did not know that he had become such a famous person. Th en, in 2008, when a TV station made a documentary about Jeong Chu, we learned a little more about him.

▲ Jeong Heon-ki

Jeong Heon-ki: First, Jeong Chu studied music at the Moscow Conservatory in Russia in the 1950s as the fourth student to study directly under Tchaikovsky. He was also the fi rst person to get a perfect score for his graduation work, “Th e Motherland,” and since then he has been called “Th e Black-Haired Tchaikovsky.”

GN: At that time, it was unusual to study abroad. How did he go to Russia to study? Jeong Heon-ki: For a better understanding of the life history of Jeong Chu, we cannot leave out the story of his elder brother Jeong Jun-chae, formerly known as the father of the North Korean cinema. Jun-chae fi rst went to study abroad in 1939 in the cinema department at Nihon University in Japan, and then in 1941, his younger brother Chu went to study in the composition department at the same university. Both were actively working as fi lm directors and composers, and aft er liberation in 1945, they received an off er to shoot a documentary in Pyeongyang. At that time, Pyeongyang had an advanced performing arts system with fi ve grand theaters, so not only the two of them, but also other outstanding artists from today’s South Korea went there. Jun-chae was the fi rst to go to North Korea, in 1945, followed by his brother Chu in 1946. Neither of them ever returned to their hometown again. while running the Chosun Film Studio, and Jeong Chu served as dean at Pyongyang Music Academy. Th en, at the end of the Korean War in 1953, he was selected as a state scholarship student by the North Korean government and went to the Moscow Conservatory of Music in Russia (then the Soviet Union). At that time there was a movement against the idolization of Stalin (who had led the Soviet Union to victory in World War II) that led to a de-Stalinization process taking place in Russia aft er Stalin’s death.

Inspired by the movement in Russia, Jeong Chu, along with his friends also demonstrated against the idolization of North Korea’s founder, Kim Il-sung, thereby giving up any hope of returning to Pyeongyang. Th ey instead sought political asylum in the Soviet Union. Upon learning of the situation, North Korea issued an order to summon the ten artists they had dispatched, including the Jeong brothers. Among the artists who were sent back to Pyeongyang was the older brother, Jeong Jun-chae, and upon arrival all of them were purged or killed. Jeong Chu applied for asylum to the Soviet authorities and was deported to Almaty, Kazakhstan. (To be continued next issue.)

Photographs courtesy of Jeong Heon-ki.

The Interviewer

Jeong Jiyeon studied piano in university and is now working as a coordinator at the Gwangju International Center. She spends her free time in bed with her best friends, Netfl ix and YouTube.

Artist Talk in Gwangju

Jayi Kim A rtist Jayi Kim, based in Gwangju, has become known for her artwork, the latest iteration of which is a relaxing space decorated with artificial greenery. However, the message in her art is more complicated than rest and relaxation. Her works reflect her acute awareness of how essential it is for us to look after ourselves and notice the signs our subconscious sends to us.

Jayi Kim in her studio.

Interview by Aekyeong Lee

▲ Skill of R&R (Rest & Relaxation) 2 (2018).

Her interest in the subconscious increased when she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer while studying for a master’s in art and space at Kingston University in London. She wondered why she had not noticed any symptoms before the disease progressed so far. She thought it might have been because she had not focused enough on her inner self. This made her come to realize that she should have concentrated more on her subconscious. This is the reason why she started trying different methods of introspection, such as keeping a dream journal, thematically analyzing the words she used every day, and rearranging and exhibiting her collections in different themes.

Pursuing the idea of her subconscious being connected to her past experience with cancer, her current work about rest and relaxation is grounded in her intention to stay healthy. As a method of looking after herself, she turned her research focus to rest. She learned of two different types of rest: active and inactive, as well as the therapeutic impact of artificially designed nature on our mind. Based on these findings, she installed an artificial forest in a gallery space with videos and photos of greenery, including artificial stems that she knitted herself. In this room created by the artist’s active rest, the audience experiences inactive rest such as listening to recorded nature sounds and observing scenes from a forest projected on the wall while lying on beanbags.

What is more interesting about her work is that she asks her audiences what they usually do to rest. She gives them plant seeds so that they can experience the artist’s way of rest at home. This exchange between the artist and the audience makes it possible for her art to shape people’s lives directly. In the interest of fostering more of these exchanges, I was fortunate to have a discussion with the artist herself. What follows is our exchange.

Aekyeong Lee (AL): You’ve participated in residency programs in diff erent organizations every year since 2014. How have the experiences in diff erent cities and countries aff ected your work? Jayi Kim: I’ve learned that the styles of rest can vary depending on cultural and geographical diff erences. Th is is what I’ve been interested in and want to research further in the future.

AL: You’ve been studying the importance of relaxation and various styles of rest. With the knowledge you’ve accumulated, you’ve created the series “Skill of Rest and Relaxation.” Among the works, my favorite is the one where I can lie on a reclining chair, listen to the sounds of nature, and watch moving images of nature. Indeed, this work has drawn great attention from both the public and art museums. Why do you think people love your work? Jayi Kim: Even before COVID-19, people started thinking about the environment, their well-being, and work–life balance. Th e public interest in nature and both physical and mental health has increased far more in recent times due to the pandemic. However, it’s still hard for people to fi nd a place in which they can take a break and relax. It seems like my work provides them with what they need.

AL: Your art always requests the audience’s participation. What I love the most about your work is the seed kit that you give the participants to thank them. Th rough this exchange of how you rest, have you learned any new styles of relaxing? More importantly, what messages do you want to tell the audience? Jayi Kim: Th e kits were designed for a group exhibition held in Yeulmaru in Yeosu last month 1 . I’ve become aware of the fact that there are so many diff erent ways to rest through the exchange. On top of that, I hope the participants try out diverse activities for resting rather than stick to a fi xed one. You might fi nd a new activity

that’s more suitable for you. For example, a friend of mine told me she’d thought online shopping aft er work helped refresh her, but realized that she got tired aft erwards. She said my work gave her a chance to refl ect and re-evaluate the way she rested. She was fi nally able to have a better, more relaxing journey by sharing her way with the other audience members through my work.

AL: In the interview with the Gwangju Museum of Art 2 you said you were preparing for your solo exhibition at the museum, where you are an artist-in-residence at the moment. Could you introduce this upcoming exhibition and your work? Jayi Kim: Th e studio provided by the Gwangju Museum of Art is located in the center of a large public park, Gwangju’s Jungoe Park. Th is park is full of trees and fl owers, yet people aren’t free to rest on their own there since it’s an open, public area. Th us, for my solo exhibition, I decided to install a private space fi lled with natural scenes and sounds for people seeking a space to rest with privacy in nature. Th ey should book their time slot before arrival via my website 3 .

AL: Is there any other project you’re planning to do? Jayi Kim: In November, there’s going to be a group exhibition held at the Lee Kang Ha Art Museum. It’s a collaborative project with the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. Th e information about this exhibition will be updated on the website of the Lee Kang Ha Art Museum later 4 . In addition to that, I’d like to compile the responses on the exchange project I’ve been doing and publish a book if I have a chance.

Photographs courtesy of Jayi Kim.

Footnotes

1 Yeulmaru (예울마루), a culture and arts park in Yeosu, provides an online tour of this exhibition in which Jayi Kim participated in September. Check the video link and fi nd out more about her art. https://tv.naver.com/v/15362269 2 A video of the interview (in Korean): https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=0fRlhySTErg 3 Jayi Kim’s website: http://www.jayikim.com 4 Th e website of the Lee Kang Ha Art Museum: http://www.lkhartmuseum.com/

The Interviewer

Aekyeong Lee is an international residency manager and curatorial assistant at the Gwangju Museum of Art. Aft er earning an MA in art museum studies in the U.K., she started earning an MA in psychology and neuroscience at King’s College London for interdisciplinary research in the museum sphere. With a great interest in hearing from diff erent perspectives, she interviews local artists and art enthusiasts with multidisciplinary viewpoints. Instagram: @evevievy