Exploring the Meaning of 'Work' at the Venice International Art Biennale

The Venice International Art Biennale, celebrating its 120th anniversary this year, is often dubbed as the "Olympics of the art world." Representing Korea at this prestigious and influential contemporary art event, Im Heung-soon won the Silver Lion prize with his documentary film, "Factory Complex."<br /><br />We visited the Seoul Art Space Geumcheon, which served as one of the backdrops of his documentary piece, to meet the now world-famous film director and artist. The Seoul Art Space Geumcheon was established in the former Guro Industrial Complex for a group of visual artists, who were chosen through a contest.<br /><br />For the award-winning documentary piece, "Factory Complex," Im Heung-soon traveled across Asia, from Korea to Cambodia and Vietnam, to document women’s labor history spanning some 40 years. Intrigued by the stories of the female workers from the Guro Industrial Complex, Im started his journey to touch upon other important labor movements and issues in the modern history of Korea. In the film, the women’s stories as well as their inner thoughts were reconstructed into symbolic representations and performance art with the use of creative images and decalcomania. In this episode, we’ll take you behind the scenes of the premiere of "Factory Complex" in Korea and talk to the cast members.<br /><br />Im Heung-soon also talked about the various art projects he’s done to give a chance for the vulnerable and marginalized classes to appreciate and enjoy the arts and culture, and discussed more in-depth about his first feature-length documentary film, "Jeju Prayer."<br /><br />Join us this week on The INNERview to meet Im Heung-soon who wants to bring forth movies that will bring a sense of warmth and solace to the modern-day audiences and to make the world a better place to live in through the beauty of the arts.