ID :
79918
Tue, 09/15/2009 - 03:43
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/79918
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'Culture Olympics' close after impressive performances, games
By Shin Hae-in
JEJU ISLAND, South Korea, Sept. 14 (Yonhap) -- The third International Delphic
Games came to a close on this South Korean island Monday with competitors and
spectators celebrating the successful six-day run of the global cultural contest,
which staged some of the world's most impressive competitions and performances.
The Delphic Games opened Sept. 9 on the South Korean island of Jeju, drawing 395
competitors from 35 countries showcasing their talents and cultural heritage.
The 18 competitions in six categories -- music and acoustic arts; the performing
arts; craft, design and visual arts; linguistic arts; communication and social
arts; and architecture and ecological arts -- as well as non-competitive
performances and lectures by some of world's most renowned artists drew more than
1,500 people from all over the world.
"Dear participants, now is the time for us to close the curtains to this
emotional and joyful event which helped us building a brand new culture through
competitions which transcended national borders and time," Jeju Governor Kim
Tae-hwan said during the closing ceremony. "See you all four years later."
The fourth host of the Delphic Games will be determined during the general
assembly of the International Delphic Council Tuesday.
The Delphic Games originated out of the ancient Greek culture festivals held
every four years at the sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi. With representatives from
18 nations founding the International Delphic Council in 1994, the first round of
the culture Olympics was held in Russia and the second in Malaysia in 2005. The
event in South Korea was the largest so far.
Host South Korea led the competitions, taking six gold medals in games including
poetical recital and percussion, followed by Mongolia, which won five golds.
Winners of the Delphic Games were given the gold, silver or bronze Delphic Medal
Award, as well as the Delphic Laurel Award, the Delphic Peace Award and the
Delphic Lyre Award going to performers who showed excellence in blending
traditional and contemporary techniques or cultures from different nationalities.
As one of the most impressive accomplishments of the event, 10 innovative
buildings designed by participants of the architectural arts competitions are to
be built in Gasiri, a remote village on Jeju, soon after the event.
With most of the expenses to be funded by the government, the small constructions
designed by 20 architects from seven countries -- including Jose Luis Esteban
Penelas from Spain, Kojima Kazuhiro from Japan, Kamiel Klasse from the
Netherlands and Kim Jong-kyu from South Korea -- will be completed sometime early
next year.
"What is very interesting about this project is that all these people are present
here to create something that will become a part of the country, affecting the
place where the games are being held," Alejandro Zaera Polo, a Spanish architect
and member of the jury said in an earlier interview. "I think this is very much a
part of the games' purpose -- to blend national and global culture into a
specific environment."
Gasiri village, located on the southeastern side of Mount Halla, is a relatively
underdeveloped region where many villagers were victimized during the so-called
April 3 uprising. The 1948 incident resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands
of people after the popular uprising was harshly put down following the end of
Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule.
Non-competitive performances and lectures by five world-renowned maestros also
spiced up the third Delphic Games, drawing large crowds from various countries
every night.
The performances included ones by South Korean Kim Young-hee, Spain's "Rocio
Vazquez Ramirez Flamenco Company," Portugal's "Joana Amendoeira," performing
fado, Japan's "Kyoto ALTI Dance Company," Slovakia's "Gypsy Devils Orchestra,"
Peru's "Inca Empire," Ecuador's "Apache," Brazil's "Benjamim Taubkin et Nucleo
Contemporaneo," France's "Cie Acronote" and South Africa's "Compagmie Vincent
Mantsoe."
The five maestros of the third Delphic Games were South Korean folk mono-drama
master Shim Woo-sung, Mongolian musician Tserendorj Tseyen, American lettering
artist Jill Bell, French poet and scholar Claude Mouchard and Spanish architect
Alejandro Zaera-Polo.
Monday's closing ceremony -- attended by the International Delphic Council
President Divina Bautista and the council's founder J. Christian Kirsch, and the
chairperson of the Jeju Delphic Games organizing committee Lee Jong-duck --
featured performances by winners in the performing arts competitions, as well as
the German band "Rhine Power Pipe Band" and the South Korean fusion music team
"Whool."
hayney@yna.co.kr
(END)
JEJU ISLAND, South Korea, Sept. 14 (Yonhap) -- The third International Delphic
Games came to a close on this South Korean island Monday with competitors and
spectators celebrating the successful six-day run of the global cultural contest,
which staged some of the world's most impressive competitions and performances.
The Delphic Games opened Sept. 9 on the South Korean island of Jeju, drawing 395
competitors from 35 countries showcasing their talents and cultural heritage.
The 18 competitions in six categories -- music and acoustic arts; the performing
arts; craft, design and visual arts; linguistic arts; communication and social
arts; and architecture and ecological arts -- as well as non-competitive
performances and lectures by some of world's most renowned artists drew more than
1,500 people from all over the world.
"Dear participants, now is the time for us to close the curtains to this
emotional and joyful event which helped us building a brand new culture through
competitions which transcended national borders and time," Jeju Governor Kim
Tae-hwan said during the closing ceremony. "See you all four years later."
The fourth host of the Delphic Games will be determined during the general
assembly of the International Delphic Council Tuesday.
The Delphic Games originated out of the ancient Greek culture festivals held
every four years at the sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi. With representatives from
18 nations founding the International Delphic Council in 1994, the first round of
the culture Olympics was held in Russia and the second in Malaysia in 2005. The
event in South Korea was the largest so far.
Host South Korea led the competitions, taking six gold medals in games including
poetical recital and percussion, followed by Mongolia, which won five golds.
Winners of the Delphic Games were given the gold, silver or bronze Delphic Medal
Award, as well as the Delphic Laurel Award, the Delphic Peace Award and the
Delphic Lyre Award going to performers who showed excellence in blending
traditional and contemporary techniques or cultures from different nationalities.
As one of the most impressive accomplishments of the event, 10 innovative
buildings designed by participants of the architectural arts competitions are to
be built in Gasiri, a remote village on Jeju, soon after the event.
With most of the expenses to be funded by the government, the small constructions
designed by 20 architects from seven countries -- including Jose Luis Esteban
Penelas from Spain, Kojima Kazuhiro from Japan, Kamiel Klasse from the
Netherlands and Kim Jong-kyu from South Korea -- will be completed sometime early
next year.
"What is very interesting about this project is that all these people are present
here to create something that will become a part of the country, affecting the
place where the games are being held," Alejandro Zaera Polo, a Spanish architect
and member of the jury said in an earlier interview. "I think this is very much a
part of the games' purpose -- to blend national and global culture into a
specific environment."
Gasiri village, located on the southeastern side of Mount Halla, is a relatively
underdeveloped region where many villagers were victimized during the so-called
April 3 uprising. The 1948 incident resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands
of people after the popular uprising was harshly put down following the end of
Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule.
Non-competitive performances and lectures by five world-renowned maestros also
spiced up the third Delphic Games, drawing large crowds from various countries
every night.
The performances included ones by South Korean Kim Young-hee, Spain's "Rocio
Vazquez Ramirez Flamenco Company," Portugal's "Joana Amendoeira," performing
fado, Japan's "Kyoto ALTI Dance Company," Slovakia's "Gypsy Devils Orchestra,"
Peru's "Inca Empire," Ecuador's "Apache," Brazil's "Benjamim Taubkin et Nucleo
Contemporaneo," France's "Cie Acronote" and South Africa's "Compagmie Vincent
Mantsoe."
The five maestros of the third Delphic Games were South Korean folk mono-drama
master Shim Woo-sung, Mongolian musician Tserendorj Tseyen, American lettering
artist Jill Bell, French poet and scholar Claude Mouchard and Spanish architect
Alejandro Zaera-Polo.
Monday's closing ceremony -- attended by the International Delphic Council
President Divina Bautista and the council's founder J. Christian Kirsch, and the
chairperson of the Jeju Delphic Games organizing committee Lee Jong-duck --
featured performances by winners in the performing arts competitions, as well as
the German band "Rhine Power Pipe Band" and the South Korean fusion music team
"Whool."
hayney@yna.co.kr
(END)
