SPECTRUM

A folly is a functionless building that embraces specific programs or no program at all. In addition to this traditional notion, the follies in Gwangju serves as urban public space, and thus contributes to the city’s regeneration. The Gwangju Folly project was designed to address the “doughnut effect,” the hollowing out of the city center, by using follies to reinvigorate Gwangju’s cultural potential. Each Gwangju Folly project has a unique concept. Gwangju Folly I (2011) sought to restore the sense of history by retracing the now-obliterated circumference of the old city fortress. Gwangju Folly II (2013) invoked the socio-political potential of the people through installations on sites of historical significance, including the site of the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising. Gwangju Folly III (2017) was a series of cultural experiments focusing on the city’s everyday life. This exhibition explores the role of Gwangju Folly within the spectrum of urban community. A mobile folly by Leif Hogfeldt Hansen, introduced in Gwangju Folly III, acts as display of panels and documentations of the Gwangju Folly projects, their cultural potential, and possibilities for future expansion.