Mirror and Hammer: Chinese Contemporary Art

798 Art Zone · Na Tae-woong · Graduate School of International Studies, Seoul National University

Introduction

Art not only reflects society but also leads and pioneers it. Art is a mirror in that it reflects a society's past and present, and a hammer in that it predicts and leads the future direction. In this context, Chinese contemporary art has served as a mirror and hammer, showing China's past, present, and future. Chinese contemporary art not only reflects China's turbulent 20th century, marked by the invasions of imperial powers, the first socialist experiment in Asia after the founding of New China, the Cultural Revolution, and the introduction of capitalist market economy through reform and opening up, but has also led political and social changes, as evidenced by events such as Lu Xun's Woodcut Movement in the 1930s, the formation of the Stars Art Group (星星画会) in 1979, the '85 New Wave Art Movement (85’ 新潮美术运动), and the '89 China/Avant-Garde Exhibition ('89 中国现代美术展).

Meanwhile, Beijing, the capital, which has served as the cradle of New China's art policy and the collection point for its artistic achievements alongside Shanghai since 1949, has historically been a black hole, attracting many outstanding artistic talents, drawing on its pride as an 800-year-old capital and its rich traditional cultural heritage. Many representative figures of Chinese contemporary art have emerged from this city and continue to work here, leading the global art market. In particular, the area known as 'Dashanzi' (大山子) or the '798 Art Zone' (798 艺术区), located on the outskirts of Beijing, is a space that symbolizes the evolution of Chinese contemporary art. Originally a military factory complex built with Soviet aid in the 1950s, it became a representative space for Chinese contemporary art, attracting global attention in less than a decade as impoverished artists began to gather there. The 798 Art Zone is a symbolic complex space where China's past and present, tradition and modernity, and East and West meet, serving as the heart of Chinese art with the nickname 'SOHO of China'.

If the 798 Art Zone symbolizes the meeting of past and present, tradition and modernity, East and West, then the lives and works of individual artists nurtured by this space must also reflect this in some way. Artists have always been tools and spokespersons for the spirit of their times. Consciously or unconsciously, artists give form to the character and values of their era, and conversely, the character and values of the era shape art (Jaffe Aniela 2008, 239-282). This is well demonstrated by the so-called 'Four Heavenly Kings' of Chinese contemporary art, such as Wang Guangyi, Zhang Xiaogang, Yue Minjun, and Fang Lijun, as well as other internationally active representative artists. For the same reason, the life and art of Zhao Gang, whom we aim to explore through this Beijing field trip, are particularly interesting. He began his artistic career at the age of 18 as the youngest member of the Stars Art Group (星星画会), considered the cradle of Chinese contemporary art after the Cultural Revolution, in 1979. He then broadened his artistic spectrum through studies in Europe and the United States for over two decades. Returning to Beijing in 2006, he continues to expand his artistic spectrum through constant self-challenge and experimentation, while actively engaging in the international art scene.

In this context, this report examines the meaning and content of Chinese contemporary art as a mirror and hammer, focusing on the 'temporal space' of the 798 Art Zone and Zhao Gang's exhibition. First, it will explore the context and flow of Chinese contemporary art history in a broad sense. Then, through Huang Rui and the 798 Time Space (798 时态空间), figures and places symbolizing 798, it will convey the past and present of Chinese contemporary art within this flow. Finally, it will glimpse Chinese contemporary art as a hammer leading the future, extending from the past and present, through Zhao Gang's exhibition 'Acquiring Identity'.

The Flow of Chinese Contemporary Art History

Previous studies generally agree on dividing the flow of Chinese contemporary art history into three periods: I) The Post-Cultural Revolution Period (1976-1984), II) The Experimental Period of Contemporary Art (1985-early 1990s), and III) The Period of Chinese Contemporary Art and Internationalization (early 1990s-present). Uniquely, Chinese contemporary art is deeply intertwined with China's modern political history rather than purely internal art historical contexts, which is often pointed out as both a characteristic and a limitation of Chinese contemporary art (Park Il-woo 2014, 124-125). In other words, Chinese art history is vast, and the so-called avant-garde contemporary art of modern China, shaped by political contexts, cannot represent the whole and is indeed fading from the stage.

1. Post-Cultural Revolution Period (1976-1985) The post-Cultural Revolution period refers to the time from the end of the Cultural Revolution with Mao Zedong's death in 1976 until the full-scale launch of the Chinese abstract art movement known as the '85 New Wave Art Movement' (85’新潮美术运动) in 1985. This period can be considered a transitional phase where artists began to embrace Western modernism, moving away from the socialist realism aesthetic that dominated the Cultural Revolution era (Lee Ju-hyun 2010, 163). Following Mao Zedong's death in 1976 and the downfall of the 'Gang of Four,' including Jiang Qing, Wang Hongwen, and Zhang Chunqiao, and with Deng Xiaoping's era of reform and opening up (1978~) succeeding Hua Guofeng, a wind of freedom and reform, dubbed the 'Beijing Spring,' began to blow across society and culture. People's big-character posters appeared on 'Democracy Wall' in the Xidan area of Beijing, and literary magazines like 'Today' (今天) and 'Beijing Spring' (北京之春) sold like hotcakes, explosively spreading the desire for democratization and reform.

Against this socio-political backdrop, new changes began to emerge in the Chinese art world, which had been subjected to severe censorship and oppression during the Mao Zedong era and the Cultural Revolution. Chinese art, which had been confined to the framework of socialist realism dictated by the principles proclaimed by Jiang Qing, Mao Zedong's wife and one of the Gang of Four, began to pursue a more depoliticized and free aesthetic. The art trends of this period can be broadly divided into the realist art circles centered around art academies and the Western modernist art circles centered around independent artists (Lee Ju-hyun 2010, 164). In the realist art circles, critical realism, such as 'scar art' (伤痕美术) and 'hometown painting' (乡土绘画), emerged, breaking away from the Soviet-style socialist realism. Luo Zhongli's <Father> is known as a representative work of critical realism from this period. However, even this critical realism was criticized as an extension of the rigid realist style of the Cultural Revolution era. Amidst growing fatigue with the rigid artistic forms of the past thirty years, interest in Western modernism spread, particularly among young independent artists who organized art groups. These artists began to experiment with free forms by holding their own exhibitions and gained attention through direct communication with the public.

Among these, the art group 'Stars Art Group' (星星画会), composed of 23 amateur artists, was like a signal flare announcing the arrival of a new era. Through their art, they aimed to convey that the era of the 'Sun,' represented by Mao Zedong, the Cultural Revolution, had passed, and the era of 'Stars' illuminating the night anonymously had arrived (Lee Ju-hyun 2010, 177). Furthermore, the <First Stars Art Exhibition> (星星美展), held in 1979, centered around Huang Rui and Ma Desheng, was not only a plea for freedom of expression but also laid the foundation for the modernization of art, greatly influencing later artists (Sullivan 1999, 715). It was a significant 'political event' that paved the way for Chinese avant-garde art, which would later fully develop with the '85 New Wave Art Movement.' The preface to the <First Stars Art Exhibition>, held with over 150 works displayed on a 40-meter-long iron fence in the park east of the National Art Museum of China, explains the significance of this 'event' as follows:

2 The <Second Stars Art Exhibition> was held from August 24 to September 7, 1980, at the National Art Museum of China after the Stars Art Group was officially registered with the Artists Association. It featured 27 artists. "... We want to perceive the world with our own eyes and participate in the world with our own brushes and chisels.

There are various expressions in our paintings, and our expressions appeal to our individual ideals. ... We cannot cut off time, so the shadows of the past and the light of the future intersect, composing our

multifaceted lives. It is our responsibility to live steadfastly and remember all lessons.

multifaceted lives. It is our responsibility to live steadfastly and remember all lessons.

It is our responsibility to live steadfastly and remember all lessons.

It is our responsibility to live steadfastly and remember all lessons.

2. Experimental Period of Contemporary Art (1985-early 1990s) The scar painting and the Stars Art Group mentioned above naturally led to the '85 New Wave Art Movement' (85’ 新潮), but their spiritual and social characteristics were quite different. The '85 Movement' emerged between two political campaigns, the Anti-Spiritual Pollution Campaign (反精神污染运动, 1982-84) and the Anti-Bourgeois Liberalization Campaign (反资产阶级自由文化运动, 1987). It was an art movement that exploded across the country, advocating a return to pre-Cultural Revolution art, rejecting art confined by politics, and embracing Western contemporary art and the pursuit of individuality and creativity. From 1985 to 1987, as many as 87 radical art groups were formed, and over 2,000 artists engaged in avant-garde art movements in about 150 exhibitions across the country (Kwon Eun-young 2007, 333).

The '85 Movement,' hailed as the birth of Chinese avant-garde art, spearheaded an intellectual liberation movement, encompassing various elements that define contemporary Chinese art today. Centered around graduates from the Hangzhou Academy of Fine Arts and the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, the '85 Movement' became a stage for the release of artistic freedom and inner nature suppressed during the Cultural Revolution. Specific themes included: 'establishing the relationship between contemporary culture and Western civilization, self-reflection and critique of class and ideological struggles, the correlation between self and society, the loss of judgment in opposition and contradiction, and the fictional value of humanity, nature and the humanistic structure, the anguish of 'qualitative self versus superficial self,' cynicism, contradiction, destruction, doubt, despair, and the exploration of the true values of modern humanity' (Choi Byung-sik 2005). These themes remain important challenges for contemporary Chinese art to address even today in 2010.

The '85 Movement' culminated and bore fruit with the <'89 China/Avant-Garde Exhibition> ('89中国现代美术展) in 1989. Notably, it garnered significant public attention due to the performance art by Xiao Lu, a female artist from Hangzhou. Her performance art, <Dialogue>, involved shooting a mirror with a pistol, which was a highly anti-establishment work exposing the collusion between politics and business, offending the government and leading to the immediate closure of the exhibition. Furthermore, it became a decisive catalyst for the persecution of free creative activities that had been on the rise since 1978, and in reaction, it triggered the Tiananmen Square incident. The mutual distrust and animosity prevalent in society after the Tiananmen Square incident fueled the development of Chinese art with a strong critical stance towards the system. Amidst this atmosphere, artistic styles representing Chinese avant-garde art, such as 'Cynical Realism' and 'Political Pop Art,' emerged. The first work in this style began when critic Li Xianting labeled Wang Guangyi's <Mao Zedong-Checkered No. 1>, exhibited at the <China/Avant-Garde Exhibition> in 1989, as 'Political Pop Art.' Subsequently, artists including Wang Guangyi, Zhang Xiaogang, Yue Minjun, and Fang Lijun, known as the 'Four Heavenly Kings,' as well as internationally renowned artists like Ai Weiwei and Xu Bing, gained international fame not only in China but also globally.

3. Period of Experimentation and Internationalization of Chinese Contemporary Art (early 1990s-present) Since the 1980s, the Chinese art world began to show increasing interest in Western contemporary art through movements like the '85 New Wave Art Movement.' From the late 1980s, efforts were made to present works that aligned with international art trends (Jeong Chang-mi 2017, 95-96). With rapid economic growth in the 1990s, China gained opportunities to enter the international art scene. A crucial event in this process that cannot be overlooked is the <45th Venice Biennale> in 1993. Through this exhibition, Chinese contemporary art began to attract significant attention from the international art community, marking the full-scale commencement of the period of experimentation and internationalization of Chinese contemporary art. Additionally, the <Post-'89 Chinese New Art Exhibition> held in Hong Kong in January of the same year showcased new trends in Chinese contemporary art, such as 'Political Pop Art' and 'Cynical Realism,' laying the groundwork for participation in the 1993 Venice Biennale.

Furthermore, at the <48th Venice Biennale> in 1999, Cai Guo-Qiang won the Golden Lion, the highest award at the Venice Biennale, for his installation <The Rent Collection Courtyard> (收租院), becoming the first Chinese national to do so. This marked Chinese contemporary art's transition from a supporting role to a leading role in the international art scene. Cai Guo-Qiang's work also demonstrated the potential for expansion in terms of contemporary art styles, moving beyond the existing image of Chinese art held by the world. It presented styles that evolved through diverse genres such as installation and performance, rather than 'Political Pop Art' or 'Cynical Realism' (Jeong Chang-mi 2017, 103). The themes also became increasingly depoliticized, showing a trend towards pursuing art as a personal and independent formal language. Kwon Eun-young attempts to understand the cultural identity of contemporary Chinese art as 'hybridity,' where 'locality' and 'globality' coexist (Kwon Eun-young 2009, 326). According to the author, contemporary Chinese art possesses a 'hybrid cultural identity' that encompasses 'temporal hybridity, where pre-modern, modern, and contemporary coexist, regional hybridity, which can be seen as the intersection of Eastern and Western cultures, and the simultaneous realization of locality and globality.' In a similar vein, Park Il-woo predicts that future Chinese art will reinterpret and rediscover its own traditions, such as New Ink Painting, while maintaining communication with the West amidst diversity and leading international trends (Park Il-woo 2004, 142-143).

Today, Chinese contemporary art significantly influences the changes in the global art landscape. According to a survey by the global art market information company Artprice, the Chinese art market recorded sales of $4.8 billion (approximately 5.436 trillion KRW) in 2016, surpassing the United States to become the world's number one art auction market. It currently accounts for over 30% of global art sales. Most notably, there is a movement to reinterpret Chinese traditional painting (国画) in the international art scene, and the progress of young emerging artists born after the 1970s, such as Cao Fei and Chen Ke, is remarkable.

Yesterday and Today: Huang Rui and 798 Time Space

As mentioned earlier, Beijing, the capital of China, has served as the 'womb of Chinese contemporary art,' nurturing outstanding Chinese artistic talents based on its pride as an 800-year-old capital and its rich traditional cultural heritage. The 798 Art Zone, located in Dashanzi on the outskirts of Beijing, is a space that best symbolizes the complexity and avant-garde nature of Chinese contemporary art, where China's past and present, Chinese tradition and Western modernism meet (Park Jeong-hee 2012, 522). For nearly the past two decades, it has functioned as a mirror and hammer for Chinese contemporary art. Meanwhile, Huang Rui, a key figure of the Stars Art Group who settled here in 2002, is an indispensable figure for explaining the architecture and history of this unique space. In this context, this section will examine the past and present of Chinese contemporary art through 'the person' and 'the place' that symbolize the 798 Art Zone.

1. 'The Person' - Huang Rui (b. 1952, Beijing) Huang Rui is a towering figure in the independent Chinese contemporary art scene. In the post-Cultural Revolution era, he resisted the oppressive regime that suppressed freedom of expression and art through the Stars Art Group, which he co-founded with Wang Keping, Ma Desheng, and others in 1979, engaging in anti-establishment artistic activities. In 1984, he went to Japan to study, partly by choice and partly due to government persecution. Subsequently, in 1995, he was banned from re-entry, making it impossible to return to China for six years. His life in Japan was arduous, but it provided him with the opportunity to experience international art trends, broaden his horizons, and experiment with new methods. From 1994 to 1998, he primarily focused on installation art, and from 1998 onwards, he actively engaged in performance art, consistently delivering social and political messages exposing the suppressed freedom and rigidity under China's authoritarian government.

In 2002, entering the 21st century, Huang Rui, who had remarried, finally obtained permission to re-enter China. Shortly after his return, through a friend, he was introduced to the current '798 Art Zone.' He was deeply impressed by the spatial charm and artistic and historical value of 798. He actively introduced 798 to friends, including artists and various art organizations, starting with the Tokyo Gallery in Japan. As he settled here, he dreamed of the revival of a 'second Stars Art Group.' However, soon after, the government announced plans to demolish the 798 factory complex as part of an urban development project and establish a high-tech electronics complex, creating tension between the artists, the actual users of the space, and the government. Huang Rui was determined to preserve this space, and as a result, he and fellow artists like Xu Yong engaged in a 'struggle as artists.'5 Instead of using guns and swords, they decided to engage in non-violent artistic protest using brushes and chisels. Consequently, in 2004, the 'Dashanzi International Art Festival' (北京大山子国际艺术节, DIAF), which led to the establishment of the current 798 Art Zone, was launched. From the first edition in 2004 to the third in 2006, Huang Rui served as the general director, leading the Dashanzi Art Festival. Beyond the festival, he worked to promote 798 through his own works, media, and events, and to unite domestic and international forces to preserve 798 (Lee Bo-yeon 2008, 65-66). As a result, 798 began to gain international recognition. Following these efforts, the government announced the 'Cancellation of the 798 Factory Zone Demolition Plan' in 2006 and designated the area as a 'Cultural and Creative Industry Zone' (文化创意产业区). Since then, the 798 Art Zone has achieved remarkable success with its international fame, with approximately 400 domestic and international galleries, large art museums, magazines, design offices, bookstores, and restaurants establishing themselves, transforming it into the 798 of today. However, the government, viewing 798 solely in economic terms, rapidly steered this artistic space towards commercialization (Lee Bo-yeon 2008, 67). Due to rising rents and pressure from stakeholders, many artists, who originally used 798 as their studios, were forced to leave. Huang Rui, until his last days, continued to resist the government through performance art such as <Open> (公开) and <Let's Have Tea> (吃茶去), but was eventually forced to leave 798. However, he continues his struggle as an artist and activist by serving as the director of the 'Beijing Contemporary International Art Festival' (DIAF) and resisting government oppression through art.

2. 'The Place' - 798 Time Space (时态空间) 798 Time Space (798 Space) is the space that best reflects Huang Rui's artistic worldview and values, and it is the heart symbolizing the 'yesterday' and 'today' of the 798 Art Zone. The 798 Art Zone was originally a state-owned factory complex built in Chaoyang District with Soviet aid and East German design in the 1950s. Construction began in 1951 and was completed in 1957. This factory complex was designed in the Bauhaus style by East German architects and was a symbolic and secret space representing the solidarity among socialist countries at the time. Originally known as the 718 Joint Factory, it was divided into units such as 706, 707, 751, 761, 797, and 798 to improve work efficiency. For nearly half a century, it was used as a complex for early People's Republic of China electronics, military supplies, and heavy industry (Kim Ji-yeon 2013, 253). After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the decline of socialism, coupled with the reform and opening-up policies that reduced demand for military supplies, Dashanzi (798) gradually fell into decline, with most of the factories left abandoned and in ruins.

From the mid-1990s, students from the Central Academy of Fine Arts began to gather in the 706 factory area to use it as studios, seeking affordable and spacious locations for their work. Crucially, in 2002, key figures such as Huang Rui, Xu Yong, and Sui Jianguo, mentioned earlier, settled here, transforming it into a complex space where China's past and present, East and West, and tradition and modernity coexist. The industrial-era steam engines and ventilation pipes, the red slogans from the Cultural Revolution era, and the remnants of the socialist Cold War period, such as workers' graffiti, which remain intact and harmoniously integrated to this day, vividly illustrate the significance of Dashanzi as a complex space. Furthermore, this transformation of the spatial characteristics of the 798 district clearly reveals the artists' rejection and resistance against existing dominant ideologies.

Among the many galleries in the 798 Art Zone, 798 Time Space is the most representative space that best embodies the complex and avant-garde characteristics of the 798 Art Zone. This space, which can be considered the trademark of the 798 Art Zone, was opened in 2002 by Huang Rui and Xu Yong, who had just returned from Japan. It is a historic space where the 'Recreate 798' (再造 798) movement to preserve the 798 Art Zone began. It also serves as the headquarters for the annual 798 Festival, acting as the heart of 798 (Kim Ji-yeon 2013, 257). This German Bauhaus-style building, with a ceiling height of 9 meters, features an impressive high arched ceiling. The faded slogans written in red on the ceiling and walls, such as 'Long live Chairman Mao' and 'Long live the Communist Party of China,' best illustrate the complexity and avant-garde aspects of Chinese contemporary art more than any other location in the 798 Art Zone.

Tomorrow: Zhao Gang: "Acquiring Identity"

Zhao Gang is an artist who well represents the complexity and hybridity of Chinese contemporary art. Born in 1961, Zhao Gang began his artistic career in the late 1970s, joining the Stars Art Group (星星画会) at the age of 18, which opened a new chapter in Chinese contemporary art history after the Cultural Revolution. He participated in landmark exhibitions of Chinese contemporary art history, such as the <First Stars Art Exhibition> in 1979 and the <Second Stars Art Exhibition> in 1980. Like many artists from the Stars Art Group in the 1980s, he went abroad to study to escape the increasing surveillance and oppression of the Chinese Communist Party government. He spent over twenty years in Europe and the United States, expanding his artistic spectrum. In 2006, he returned to Beijing and has since been building his own artistic world by constantly contemplating his artistic identity between the East and West, specifically between Chinese tradition and Western modernism. Having been born in Beijing, the source of inspiration for traditional Chinese culture, and having studied in the Western world for over two decades, establishing his artistic identity is crucial for Zhao Gang. He continuously experiments during this transitional process of establishing his artistic identity, and as a result, he is actively working and gaining recognition not only in China but also in international art markets in the United States, France, and other countries.

In this context, his exhibition "Acquiring Identity," held from May 16 to early July 2018 at the Long March Space gallery and Time Zone 8 Cafe in the 798 Art Zone, provided an excellent opportunity to glimpse the complexity and hybridity reflected in Zhao Gang's life and art, as well as his contemplation of his artistic identity, as suggested by the exhibition title. As mentioned above, contemporary Chinese art is in a transitional period, characterized by 'temporal hybridity where pre-modern, modern, and contemporary coexist, regional hybridity as the intersection of Eastern and Western cultures, and a hybrid cultural identity that simultaneously embodies locality and globality.' The individual career and life of artist Zhao Gang, and consequently his artistic world, clearly reveal the complexity and hybridity of this transitional phase of contemporary Chinese art. One notable aspect was the breadth of his artistic spectrum. The exhibition featured a wide range of formats and subjects, from political pop art that dominated the 1980s to landscapes, portraits, nudes, and paintings, making it difficult to pinpoint his primary genre. This seemingly chaotic diversity and ambiguity seemed to represent his struggle with his artistic identity.

Furthermore, according to the gallery's explanation, Zhao Gang's works blend Chinese tradition with Western impressionist techniques amidst freely mixed forms and figures. Through this, the artist seeks to express human powerlessness and tragic circumstances trapped within the irresistible trends of society and history through art. Notably, this exhibition featured many nude or semi-nude paintings of women. My personal impression was that he attempted to depict human shame, embarrassment, and vulnerability, pushed by the great currents of the era, through the naked bodies of women, who were historically the most vulnerable, or through images of women hiding in bamboo forests. In a similar vein, the painting depicting Stalin with his head cut off exposes the transience and vulnerability of life, portraying the unfortunate end of a person who once held all power and honor amidst the changes of the times. Perhaps the artist projected himself into the figures in these works, revealing his own predicament of identity confusion within a larger social structure.

In conclusion, Chinese contemporary art, as a hammer, is finding its own unique identity during a transitional period of identity confusion and through constant interaction with the West, thereby appealing with its unique charm on the international stage of tomorrow. Although it has not completely severed its connection with the political and historical context unique to Chinese art, this connection can also serve as a special charm that only Chinese art can possess on the international stage. In this context, Chinese contemporary art, as a mirror and hammer, remembers the lessons of the past and, based on that memory, dreams of a new future and leads tomorrow. If Huang Rui and the 798 Art Zone represent the past and present, showing how Chinese society actively led change and attempted internationalization by following and learning from the historical trends of the Western art world, then tomorrow's Chinese contemporary art, as a leading player in the international art scene, is now leading domestic and international political and social changes.

Concluding the 10th Sarangbang and Beijing Field Trip

The 10th Sarangbang has successfully concluded with the Beijing field trip. Although joining Sarangbang through a graduate school announcement was a rather serendipitous event, it was undoubtedly a challenging yet profoundly meaningful and special time. It is said that when people face their limits, they can sometimes draw strength and ability from specific past memories to overcome them. In this sense, the encounters and memories with my Sarangbang classmates during this trip were truly valuable, providing cherished moments as I embark on my graduate studies. In this context, I would like to briefly summarize the three main lessons learned and reflections from the Beijing field trip with my Sarangbang classmates.

First and foremost, the most significant learning from the Sarangbang studies was about the attitude and approach towards academic inquiry. I felt a sense of sincerity and urgency not only from Professor Ha Young-sun, who provided invaluable guidance and insight, but also from my fellow students. Witnessing their intense engagement and intellectual struggle, driven by the belief that historical memories and lessons can offer direction and insight for the future, was incredibly inspiring and challenging. Above all, Professor Ha's words, "Study is not an academic task but an existential one to be sustainable," continue to resonate with me. Perhaps the reason for the sincerity and urgency felt by the professor and my classmates stems from the fact that this endeavor is directly or indirectly connected to 'my' and 'our' existence.

Secondly, through the Sarangbang studies, I deeply realized my own ignorance and shortcomings. However, the awareness and experience of my deficiencies and the long road ahead did not lead to frustration and discouragement in a negative sense (although there were times of such feelings). Instead, it served as a positive catalyst, motivating me to strive harder. Above all, I believe I was able to successfully complete the semester with enjoyment thanks to the help and encouragement of my fellow students. In this regard, I feel that the end of Sarangbang is just the beginning. Through this opportunity, I intend to study and work even harder, recognizing my shortcomings, and furthermore, to practice the 'International Politics of Love' that I learned from the professor and my classmates in Sarangbang, by caring for and uplifting others. I believe that dreams, knowledge, life, and action gain momentum and vitality only when all these elements are in balanced harmony.

Finally, regarding the Beijing field trip, I would like to briefly share my feelings. Despite the short three-day itinerary, it was a truly enjoyable and grateful time spent with Professor Ha Young-sun, whom I deeply respect, Professor Choi Soo-ee, who was always kind and smiling, and seven excellent classmates. While the Sarangbang semester focused on intellectual exchange and learning, the Beijing field trip was a time to share our lives and get to know each other better. We not only shared the knowledge we had diligently prepared throughout the semester but also spent three full days together, sharing our lives and learning from each other, making it a beneficial time for both intellectual and personal bonding. Personally, although I had concerns and difficulties preparing the 798 Art Zone section due to its unfamiliarity, this serendipitous encounter allowed me to fully experience the charm of contemporary Chinese art and share that charm with others, which was truly delightful. I will cherish these encounters and memories forever. Based on these precious memories and learnings, I will study and work even harder in the future. Once again, I would like to express my gratitude to Professor Ha Young-sun, Director Baek Hye-young, Professor Choi Soo-ee, and all my Sarangbang classmates for the wonderful memories of being classmates. I conclude the final report for the 10th Sarangbang. Adieu, 10th Sarangbang!

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