What happens when thousands-of-years-old stone structures meet the cutting-edge world of digital media art? This is the fascinating premise behind “A Global Gaze from Gochang,” an upcoming exhibition running from October 2 to 22, 2025, at the Gochang Dolmen Museum in South Korea. Presented as part of the 2025 World Heritage Festival, the showcase features the collaborative genius of eight artists from Southeast Asia and South Korea.
This joint venture between Southeast Asian media art collective Swarnaloka and South Korea’s Galleryamidi will take over the museum’s first-floor media wall and the outdoor Dolmen Media Garden.
Swarnaloka is an art collective dedicated to media art and creative cultural exchanges across Southeast Asia. Partnering with them is Galleryamidi, a contemporary Korean art collective with over seven years of active presence in the local art scene.
The host city, Gochang, located in North Jeolla Province, is far from ordinary. It is home to a UNESCO World Heritage dolmen site, a unique biosphere reserve, and expansive tidal flats. For the uninitiated, dolmens are megalithic stone slabs—essentially massive stone tables—historically used for ancestral rituals, tribal gatherings, or to protect graves. Meanwhile, the tidal flats represent a dynamic, ever-changing ecosystem that purifies water and serves as a vital sanctuary for migratory birds.
The stark contrast between the static, eternal dolmens and the constantly shifting tidal flats serves as the core inspiration for the artists. “Cultural heritage is not something frozen in time; it is a living, evolving dialogue,” explains Digi Arafah, curator at Swarnaloka.
Using light, sound, and digital interactivity, the eight featured artists will weave narratives connecting Gochang with the cultural landscapes of their respective homelands:
- The Fox, The Folks (Indonesia): A Bandung-based multimedia team specializing in 2D animation and projection mapping. Their piece, Porta Petra, reimagines dolmens as silent witnesses to the dawn of life.
- MXC Creative Studio (Vietnam): A Ho Chi Minh City digital art studio focusing on 3D visuals. Their work invites viewers on an introspective journey through memory and time.
- Keboyotan (Malaysia): Featuring motion artist Aliff Firdaus, whose work Dua Bumi (Two Earths) connects Gochang’s dolmens with Sarawak’s megalithic stones, acting as portals across space and time.
- Fearmos (Indonesia): An emerging video-mapping group from Surabaya, presenting the dolmen as a reflective bridge between Earth and the cosmos.
- Khaery Chandra (Indonesia): A Central Javanese motion designer whose piece, Infinite Convergence, explores the sacred intersection of the soul and the universe.
- Malik I (Indonesia): A Bandung-based 3D artist who draws inspiration from the “Wheel of Fortune” tarot card, depicting dolmens as mystical pillars amid a changing world.
- Adani Zata & Rainerius Raka (Indonesia): A graphic and motion design duo whose work, LAKU, narrates a symbolic journey from Mount Merapi to the Southern Sea.
- Lee Yoon Su (South Korea): The host artist, who masterfully bridges ancient dolmen traditions with contemporary Korean life.
In an exciting twist, these installations will not disappear when the festival ends. The artworks will be permanently displayed at the Gochang Dolmen Museum’s Media Garden and Media Wall, allowing future visitors to experience this timeless journey.
Through immersive visual and audio experiences, these artists tell a story that honors Korea’s heritage while linking it to Southeast Asian landscapes—from mangroves and ancestral myths to rapidly changing environments.
For Swarnaloka, this project is a golden opportunity to introduce Southeast Asian artists to a global audience. Meanwhile, Galleryamidi sees it as a testament to the growth of creative networks and cross-disciplinary solidarity. “A Global Gaze from Gochang” is a headline event of the 2025 World Heritage Festival, an annual celebration dedicated to honoring the cultural, natural, and artistic values of UNESCO World Heritage sites.