DJ booth made with traditional wooden storage chest

Photo wall made with upcycled materials from previous event

The story began with the idea that everyone playing music and partying in complete chaos was wonderful, like a “gaepan”—a word literally translated as “a place full of dogs” but also meaning “opening a stage.” It also timed perfectly with freshmen born in the Year of the Dog entering university in the Year of the Snake. Drawing from the myth that dogs can see spirits, the story reintroduces "Goblin Spirit" from a previous event. As the music plays and people stomp and dance, a snake emerges from the earth's vibrations, leading to a harmony where the dog and snake dance in a circle. Through this Korean Rave, the performance opens a grand stage for freshmen, wishing them a successful first year.

Vibrations radiating from speakers and percussion instruments stimulate our body. The heart PULSES faster and faster. Using visuals and animation effects, we expressed how the vibrations felt on the skin and in the eardrums travel to the heart and bring about changes in the nervous system and hormones.

Those of us who study art sometimes feel that society avoids us, perceiving us as misfits or as people whose strong individuality makes us stand out too much. We are like the dokkaebi (goblins) of traditional Korean folktales. A dokkaebi approaches people simply because it wants to play, but people fear it and run away. Yet a dokkaebi also repays those who play with it with beneficial deeds, such as leaving behind gold and jewels. Feeling that we, who only wish to do things that are beneficial and beautiful for the world, may well be dokkaebi, we planned an event titled Maeryeong. We likened the path toward graduation for art majors, who attend a school nestled at the foot of a mountain, to the process of climbing that mountain. We wove this into the folktale: invisible dokkaebi linger around the foot of the mountain, playing samulnori instruments that symbolize clouds, wind, rain, and lightning, helping climbers make their way up under the scorching sun. The event’s slogan was: “If you hear instruments playing as you climb, dance. If you don’t play, you’ll bring bad luck.”

매령 / Mae - Ryeong / Goblin (To attract), Spirit

In the vertically written Korean calligraphy, ㅁ shape depicts a shrine containing a spiral(spirit).

DJ booth made with traditional wooden storage chest

From the center of Mandala you can find Korean Rave circle logo, eyes of a human, mountain of rocks, flying bird, and hands holding a lotus. Six symmetric figures of face was inspired by face like features in the nature which look like face of spirits. They also represent six art schools(Visual Arts, Music, Traditional arts, Dance, Film, Theater) of Korea National University of Arts.

Photo wall made with upcycled materials from previous event