Gwangju is seeking to become a cultural hub of Asia as the Asia Culture Center, a mega cultural complex equipped with artistic production facilities, theaters and cultural and educational programs, officially opens Wednesday.

In addition to two existing international cultural events -- the Gwangju Biennale and Gwangju Design Biennale -- the center is the latest addition to the city to expand its cultural infrastructure and presence in Asia. 

“The center aims to function as a platform for cultural exchanges in Asia. It will be a venue for Asian artists to produce their works and exchange with other artists, said Bang Sun-gyu, president of the ACC, at the press conference on Thursday.

The ACC, initiated in 2004, seeks to be a platform for artists to develop their works, showcase them and connect with other international artists and cultural figures.

The 161,237-square meter center claims to be the largest in Asia. Its exhibition space, consists of six halls, measuring 9,352 square meters, about 1.3 times the size of a soccer field. It has two theaters capable of accommodating up to 500 people for performances and plays. It plans to run a variety of cultural and educational programs throughout the year.

Criticism has surfaced as to whether the center is capable of attracting enough people to fill its vast exhibition halls and performing spaces and participate in year-round cultural and educational programs.

Gwangju, 300 kilometers south of Seoul, is Korea’s fifth-largest city with a population of 1.4 million.

“The center is not just for exhibitions and performances as other museums mainly show. We don’t simply display artworks or showcase performances. We are a venue for artists to produce their works and promote their works to global audiences,” said Bang.

The center will operate several residency programs for Asian artists to live and work. An old city hall was remodeled to accommodate about 20 teams of Asian artists from diverse cultural disciplines. Its Creation Center, a production center for all types of cultural content, will feature state-of-the-art digital facilities and studios to assist artists’ productions.

It seeks active exchanges with international cultural organizations. It will host the office of the Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific at the center in 2016. It plans to run diverse cultural programs in partnership with major cultural centers such as Getty Center, Rijksakademie and the National Museum of Singapore.

By Lee Woo-young (wylee@heraldcorp.com)