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AlphaGo Match Takes the Stage… Opening of the 23rd Busan International Performing Arts Festival

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Busan Metropolitan City and the Busan International Performing Arts Festival Organizing Committee announced that the 23rd Busan International Performing Arts Festival (hereinafter referred to as the Festival) will be held for nine days from May 9 to 17 at nine venues including Busan Cinema Center and Busan Citizens Hall.

The Busan International Performing Arts Festival Organizing Committee was established in 2007 to promote the development of theater in Busan and expand international exchange in the performing arts.

Beginning with the opening ceremony at 6 p.m. on May 9 at the Haneul Theater of Busan Cinema Center, a total of 52 diverse works from 13 countries will be presented to citizens at venues including the Busan Citizens Hall Small Theater, Dongseo University Minseok Small Theater, Dongseo University Sohyang Experimental Theater, Adapter Theater, Yongcheon Small Theater, Millak The Market, UN Peace Park, and the outdoor plaza of Busan Cinema Center.

Celebrating its 23rd anniversary this year, the Festival aims to create a celebration that communicates with citizens through theater and brings the art form closer to everyday life under the theme “Difference & Repetition.”

It will highlight the diversity created by different cultures and artistic languages as well as the meaning of creative repetition, while introducing contemporary trends in performing arts through a wide range of domestic and international works and programs.

This year’s Festival is designed as a participatory event that anyone can enjoy, spanning both indoor theaters and outdoor venues. It features outstanding invited works from Korea and abroad, the K-Stage program supporting global expansion of domestic performing arts groups, and BIPAF Rookies for discovering emerging artists. It also includes outdoor programs such as “Dynamic Street,” a busking-style street performance, and the “10-Minute Theater Festival,” where citizens create and perform their own productions.

The opening performance, “AlphaGo_Lee: Theory of Sacrifice” by STUDIO theatergallery, making its Asian premiere, reconstructs the historic 2016 match between AlphaGo and Lee Sedol as a stage performance. By combining performance, video, and digital imagery, the work raises questions about human judgment and choice in the age of algorithms.

The closing performance, “MERRY-GO-ROUND,” directed by Hungarian director Attila Vidnyánszky and jointly produced by the National Theatre of Budapest and the Hungarian National Dance Ensemble and its orchestra, is also an Asian premiere. It presents a lyrical stage work blending prose, music, and dance to explore themes of love, marriage, and the order of community.

In addition, the Festival will offer high-quality performing arts programs such as a master class workshop led by Japanese theater director Satoshi Miyagi, as well as Global Link and Global Connection programs.

Tickets for the Festival can be reserved through Yes24 Ticket, Interpark Ticket, and the Busan Cinema Center website (www.dureraum.org). Detailed information and schedules are available on the official Festival website (www.bipaf.org).

Cho Yu-jang, Director General of the Culture Bureau of Busan Metropolitan City, stated, “We hope that citizens will gain a deeper understanding and enjoyment of theater through the unique stages and diverse programs prepared for the Busan International Performing Arts Festival,” adding, “We will continue to actively support Busan theater so that it can expand globally and serve as a bridge for international cultural exchange.”