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Flowing Histories, Overlapping Lives Commemorative Exhibition for the 5th Anniversary of the Opening of Busan Library

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Busan Library announced that it will host an exhibition titled Flowing Histories, Overlapping Lives from November 4 to December 5 in the Exhibition Room on the 2nd floor of the library to commemorate the 5th anniversary of its opening.

Since its establishment, Busan Library has served as the central institution for “Busan Studies,” researching and collecting materials that document the region’s everyday culture. This exhibition goes beyond the simple display of records to reinterpret documentation through art, aiming to create emotional resonance with the public.

This exhibition presents the works of emerging artists Kim Yuri and Park Ji-won, who offer artistic reinterpretations of Busan’s history and heritage. Through their pieces, the exhibition invites visitors to rediscover the traces and memories of life contained within “the city of records,” Busan.

The two artists explore how the lives of the past continue into the present, focusing on three themes: “Memories Buried in the Ground,” “Busan, the Wartime Capital,” and “Historic Buildings.”

Artist Kim Yuri visualizes the passage of time by combining sectional drawings of the Busan Meteorological Observatory with images of cacti. The cactus, which sustains life even in harsh conditions, symbolizes the resilience of both wartime refugees and today’s citizens. Major works include Cross-Section of Busan Meteorological Observatory, Window of the Captain’s Room, and Surface Weather Map 1951–1953.

Artist Park Ji-won, employing traditional Korean painting techniques, personifies cats to bridge the records of the past with present-day life. Focusing on the former Provisional Government Building—now the Seokdang Museum—her works portray human life and the passage of time within historic architecture from the perspective of a cat. Representative pieces include Provisional Government Building_Seokdang Museum and the Seasonal Customs series.

The exhibition is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., except on Mondays and public holidays, and admission is free. For inquiries, please contact the Information Services Team of Busan Library at 051-310-5470.

Director Park Eun-ah of Busan Library stated, “By reinterpreting Busan’s historic spaces and the human lives within them through the language of contemporary art, we hope to shed new light on the cultural roots and identity of ‘the city of records,’ Busan. We also hope this exhibition will be a meaningful occasion for citizens to share the intersection of past and present, record and sentiment, heritage and art.”