Heritage program combines facade projection, AR, AI and participatory installations from Sept. 11 to Oct. 11

The 2026 Korean Heritage Media Art program in Cheorwon will open Sept. 11 at the Korean Workers’ Party Headquarters, Cheorwon, a National Registered Cultural Heritage site.

The month-long event will run through Oct. 11 across the historic building and the adjacent Cheorwon History and Culture Park. It will close every Tuesday and on Sept. 25, the day of the Chuseok holiday.

This year’s program is titled “Cheorwon Pyeonghwa Bisang,” a Korean phrase referring to peace taking flight. Structured around the theme “From Memory to Empathy, Beyond Healing to the Future,” it addresses the Korean War and national division through narratives of peace, recovery and the future.

A media facade will project moving images and light onto the exterior of the former party headquarters. Projection mapping and sound will follow the structure of the building without physically altering the registered heritage property.

Interactive media installations, augmented-reality experiences and illuminated sculptures will be distributed throughout Cheorwon History and Culture Park. The program also includes works selected through a public competition, AI-based media art, street performances and activities designed for families.

Other content draws on Cheorwon’s history, literature, food and accounts from local residents. Several installations allow visitors to interact with screens and digital systems, altering the images or responses they produce.

Built in 1946, the three-story Workers’ Party headquarters was heavily damaged during the Korean War. Its surviving walls and structural frame remain as evidence of the division and conflict experienced by the region. The building was designated a National Registered Cultural Heritage property in 2002.

Cheorwon County was selected for the national heritage media art program for a second consecutive year, securing 1.04 billion won in central and provincial funding. The inaugural Cheorwon edition was held for one month in 2025 under the title “Mo-euldong Bit: Clearing Clouds, Shining Peace.”

Korean Heritage Media Art is a nighttime cultural heritage program that uses technologies including projection mapping, media walls, holograms and immersive sound. Programs are scheduled at 12 locations across Korea in 2026, including Cheorwon, Ganghwa, Gyeongju, Gunsan and Buyeo.

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