PHOTOS: Old metalworking district reborn as hotspot for young artists
By Park Jong-hyeokPosted : July 29, 2024, 10:58Updated : July 29, 2024, 10:58
SEOUL, July 29 (AJU PRESS) - A once-bustling metalworking district in Seoul's Yeongdeungpo area has transformed, blending its industrial roots with a burgeoning art scene.
Now called Mullae Art Village, the area, which thrived in the 1970s and '80s, declined as cheap Chinese products flooded the market.
The neighborhood began to change in 2010 when the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture established Seoul Art Space Mullae, a creative space for artists.
Drawn by low rents and a distinctive atmosphere, young artists gradually settled in, revitalizing the fading industrial zone.
Today, artworks fashioned from discarded steel and old tools adorn the streets. Unique installations, art facilities, trendy cafes and restaurants coexist with operating ironworks, offering visitors an eclectic mix of art and industry, old and new.
This photo shows an iconic metal sculpture in Mullae Art Village in Seoul on July 25, 2024. AJU PRESS Park Jong-hyeok
This photo shows metalworking shops in Mullae Art Village in Seoul on July 25, 2024. AJU PRESS Park Jong-hyeok
Various metal pipes are displayed for sale at a metalworking shop in Mullae Art Village in Seoul on July 25, 2024. AJU PRESS Park Jong-hyeok
A graffiti mural adorns the gate of a metalworking shop in Mullae Art Village in Seoul on July 25, 2024. The shop owner provided his gate to young artists as a canvas. AJU PRESS Park Jong-hyeok
A metal sculpture sits atop a building in Mullae Art Village in Seoul on July 25, 2024. AJU PRESS Park Jong-hyeok
A graffiti mural adorns the gate of a metalworking shop in Mullae Art Village in Seoul on July 25, 2024. The shop owner provided his gate to young artists as a canvas. AJU PRESS Park Jong-hyeok
This photo, taken on July 25, 2024, shows a view of Mullae Art Village in Seoul, where newly established trendy shops coexist with traditional metalworking shops. AJU PRESS Park Jong-hyeok
This photo, taken on July 25, 2024, shows a view of Mullae Art Village in Seoul, where old, rundown metalworking shops contrast with modern office buildings in the background. AJU PRESS Park Jong-hyeok