Every country wants large cultural facilities that attract numerous visitors. Large museums, sports stadiums, and performance halls are important in that they raise a nation’s cultural profile to the world and provide citizens with diverse sights. However, few governments are willing to spend time and money to preserve historical and cultural sites that may see only a few visitors a day and offer little economic return.
Such work requires the insight of administrators who properly understand the value of art, history, and culture. In addition, the public’s interest and demand to protect precious cultural heritage must also be supported.
Fortunately, both exist in Korea. Stepping off Seoul’s main roads into the alleyways reveals the efforts of those who have dedicated themselves to protecting historical spaces. I was particularly moved to see that the former homes where artists such as Go Hui-dong, Kwon Jin-gyu, and Park Nosu lived and worked during their lifetimes have been restored and preserved.
The former home of painter Park Nosu, located at the foot of Mount Inwang in Seoul, is Seoul’s Cultural Heritage No. 1. The beautifully landscaped garden along the mountain foothills features various suseok (scholar stones) collected by the artist placed throughout. This house operates as an art museum hosting year-round special exhibitions introducing Park’s works by theme. At the souvenir shop, I purchased all the books introducing the artist’s works. Above all, what was most moving was being able to walk the hallways and stairs he must have walked, and sit in the workspace where he painted and wrote.
Unlike Park Nosu’s house, sculptor Kwon Jin-gyu’s studio does not have exhibitions or a souvenir shop. However, preserving this place is equally important. Kwon created sculptural works that offer a depth of emotional resonance matched by few globally. Unfortunately, because he tragically cut his short life-time short, the number of remaining works is small. Even the sculptural works exhibited in his studio are limited to two pieces. Major museums that compete to acquire his works rarely hold more than two pieces, though the Namseoul Museum of Art houses works donated by the bereaved family.
Yet, people visit this studio not simply to admire two of Kwon’s works in one place. It is because they can feel the breath of the artist by looking at the sculpting tools, materials, and personal belongingsβhardly moved since his passingβin the space where he actually stood and worked. We have only ever encountered Kwon’s working process through photographs, so standing at the very site where these deeply moving artworks were born offers a special feeling.
There is a special reason to be grateful to those who worked to preserve the former home of painter Go Hui-dong. Go’s house is modest in scale compared to the homes of the previous two artists. Though it has only a few rooms, the historical significance of those rooms is far from small. It was in this house, located in Bukchon Hanok Village near the stone walls of Changdeokgung Palace, that Korea’s first oil painting work took place. In this area, visitors can see various traditional Korean houses, including this hanok designed by Go himself.
My hometown also once had a shabby, dilapidated house designated for demolition by the city. I helped lead a movement to preserve it. As a result, that house is now preserved on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, as it was the home of the famous civil rights leader Malcolm X.
During my research, I learned that Malcolm X dropped the name Malcolm Little and was reborn as Malcolm X in this very house. I uncovered that he spent a crucial period here transitioning from a life of crime to a path of public service. He officially changed his name in this house and wrote early speeches that would later change the world and set a new milestone for the American civil rights movement.
Preserving historical heritage is not solely the duty of governments or experts. Each of us can participate in protecting the historical spaces of our local communities. Such places harbor precious heritage that shapes the identity and values of the next generation.
Facing the traces of the past firsthand and experiencing that history as we move toward the future is a privilege given to all of us.
