NOTICE

By Sang-Hoon Kim, Head of Literature & Religion Desk, Culture Department
Kim Sang-Hoon, neato@busan.com

As COVID-19 swept across the globe, “untact” (non-face-to-face interaction) has become a familiar term in our daily lives. In this context, a new form of remote communication called “ontact”—contact through online means—is increasingly being adopted. The cultural and artistic scene in Busan has also been swept up in this wave of ontact experiences.

“When you walk through darkness / May you see the light of God guiding you ahead / (omitted) / When shadows fall upon your life / May you still remember / That you never walk alone.”

On the 24th of last month, at the Sohyang Theatre Shinhan Card Hall in U-dong, Haeundae, the 16th Busan Choral Festival & Competition was held. A virtual choir—comprised of the Busan Teachers’ Choir and the Dana Chorale of Youngstown State University in Ohio, USA—performed the sacred choral piece “You Do Not Walk Alone.” Their performance video was displayed on a large screen at the venue and simultaneously streamed live on the festival’s YouTube channel.

The two choirs had never met in person. Members recorded their parts individually at home or in rehearsal rooms using the same backing track, then submitted their videos to the conductor, who edited the and visuals to a seamless virtual performance. Although they were physically apart due to the pandemic, the harmony they produced was quietly moving. Digital technology transcended physical boundaries to produce a heavenly ensemble, delivering a message of resilience and solidarity in the face of COVID-19. The video served as a symbolic embodiment of the festival’s theme: “Nothing Can Stop Us from Singing Together.”

This year’s Busan Choral Festival took a bold step by introducing a “Virtual Choir Festival,” reflecting the global pandemic situation. A total of 12 choirs from 9 countries—including Korea, the United States, the Philippines, Spain, Canada, Venezuela, Sweden, Indonesia, and Malaysia—participated virtually.

Eric Whitacre, a renowned American composer and choral conductor, is credited with creating the first virtual choir in 2010. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, he assembled his sixth and largest virtual choir comprising over 17,500 singers from 129 countries, and released the performance on YouTube in July. What used to be considered a niche within choral music is now emerging as one of the most powerful artistic genres in the untact era, thanks to the ontact format. As video and technology continue to evolve, virtual choirs may soon surpass our imaginations.

Dong Yong-Bok, Chairman of the Busan Choral Festival Organizing Committee, shared an emotional message at the event: “Though we cannot be together physically, everyone who loves singing and choral music can be united wherever they are. Let’s overcome the pain of COVID-19 through choral music.”

In the COVID-19 era, the 2020 Busan International Advertising Festival also successfully transitioned into an ontact format. Since its inaugural event in 2008, it has been the world’s first hybrid advertising festival that integrates both online and offline elements. Until last year, submissions and preliminary judging were done online, while the final judging took place offline. This year, even the final judging was conducted online, allowing the organizers to select winners despite the global wave of cancellations of major ad festivals due to the pandemic. This success was possible thanks to years of accumulated experience in online operations.

The festival (Executive Chairman Hwan-Jin Choi) launched its “Ontact Festival” via its official website (www.adstars.org) on August 22. The online event featured showcases of award-winning works, virtual exhibitions, conferences, and online contests. Although the main event concluded on August 23, the festival plans to continue hosting content on its website. Visitors can explore a wide range of award-winning works—including Grand Prix, special prizes, Young Stars, and New Stars Gold awards—while gaining insights into global advertising trends. The conference lineup, covering themes like “Reframing Brands in an Age of Uncertainty” and “New Opportunities in E-commerce in the Ontact Era,” was equally engaging.

On August 26, the Busan Symphony Orchestra (BSO) held its 50th regular concert at the Busan Cultural Center Grand Hall. The event, titled “Hommage to Beethoven,” commemorated the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth. It was a tribute to the composer who overcame deafness to profound masterpieces, offering rays of hope to those in despair. Oh Chung-Geun, Artistic Director of BSO, remarked, “While COVID-19 may pause humanity, art moves us forever.” Just as he said, culture and the arts are the driving force that helps us cross and overcome the challenges of this COVID era.

[출처: 부산일보] http://www.busan.com/view/busan/view.php?code=2020110218452406061