Rediscovering Ulsan: Our City, Our Art is an exhibition that harnesses the potential of art as a medium to explore the unique urban identity of Ulsan, through which it reflects on the universal trends of human cultural history. An exhibition that presents a multifaceted perspective of Ulsan, a city rich in history and cultural heritage and an aspiring eco-city that has driven the industrial growth of Korea, Rediscovering Ulsan: Out City, Our Art aspires to examine the traces of this journey of transformation that can be found in Ulsan through the lens of three different themes.

The first theme, “Inscribing Time” casts a light on the lives and culture of prehistoric civilizations through petroglyphs, which, together with the vibrant research that has been produced following the discovery of the Petroglyphs of Bangudae Terrace and the discovery of the Inscriptions and Petroglyphs of Cheonjeon-ri in the following year, have served to inspire numerous artists. The second theme, “Facing an Era of Industrialization”, seeks to remind its viewers of the past glories and scars of industrial growth that mark Ulsan, a city that spearheaded Korean economic growth for over 50 years after being designated by the government as a Special Industrial Zone in 1962, and at the same time, it seeks to raise awareness of the issue of urban sustainability for the city. The third theme, “Dreaming of Coexistence with Nature” portrays the thriving ecosystem of Ulsan, which had contemplated various means to enable the coexistence of industry and the ecosystem, to the extent that the Taehwa River, once known as the “River of Death” due to rapid urbanization, is now known as the “River of Life”.
 

As times change, so too has Ulsan undergone continuous change, and each passing moment in this journey has served as a building block of its growth. The exhibition suggests that its viewers become a flâneur, a stroller that discovers the meanings and beauty hidden within the city, a stroller that savors the joys of life as a city dweller.