Keynote Speaker
Keynote Lecture
2086: Together How?
Kyong Park's exhibition, co-curated with Jung Soik, 2086: Together How? asks "how we might work together to endure current and future environmental crises until 2086 when the global population is said to the peak." He will discuss his commissioned exhibition and participation in the Korean Pavilion at the 18th International Venice Architecture Biennale.
Kyong Park, Professor of Visual Arts at UC San Diego, is an architect, artist, urban theorist, and activist, whose research and artistic practice focus on urban landscapes and contemporary social geography. For Professor Park, art is a process of inquiry, examination and articulation of cultures, and a visual language of communication rather than a commodity of productions. Professor Park’s personal path follows a belief that he applies to urban environments: “Movement is the key to economics and the survival of a city”. While living periodically in Los Angeles, Professor Park’s ‘home’ is in San Diego. Before arriving in San Diego, he lived in New York, Detroit and multiple cities throughout Europe.
Professor Park’s first project was the founding of Storefront for Art and Architecture in New York, which he directed from 1982-98. Since then, his other projects have included 24260: The Fugitive House, a vacant house that “escaped” Detroit to travel 10 cities in Europe (2001-08) and New Silk Roads, a series of expeditions between Istanbul and Tokyo. This series highlighted the relational conditions of Asian cities within the geography of globalization. It was presented as a solo exhibition at Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Castilla y León in 209-10. Most recently, Professor Park co-curated the Korean Pavilion exhibition, 2086: Together How?, at the 18th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia 2023. 2086: Together How? asks how architects, community leaders and artists can collaborate to confront current and future environmental global crises by 2086, the year the global population is expected to peak.
Professor Park’s keynote address will be accompanied by a separate event “Wonders and Witness: Contemporary Photography from Korea” an exhibition of Korean photographic works also at the Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona.