From 6 to 16 July 2021, in celebration of the 2021 International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development, UNESCO will highlight the infinite possibilities digital technologies have to offer for new creative expressions in an immersive virtual reality exhibition, Korea: Cubically Imagined, organized at its Paris Headquarters, in partnership with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea.
On 7 July from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm, journalists are invited to a private viewing to experience the exhibition and talk with Sean Lee, President of d'strict and virtual reality director Bryan Ku. Health and security protocols will be strictly observed during the event.
Featuring exclusive content created for the occasion using digital technologies, including projection mapping, virtual reality (VR) and interactive content, the exhibition offers a VR concert of BTS's MAP OF THE SOUL ON:E, a new VR art film directed by Bryan Ku reinterpreting Bong Joon-ho's internationally acclaimed film Parasite (2020), as well as other immersive installations.
The exhibition and featured contents will also be available online through a 360° VR video at the exhibition's dedicated website on July 16.
As demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic, today's digital environment is revolutionizing the cultural and creative industries from creation to distribution and participation, giving rise to new economic and trade models. To face these challenges and opportunities, UNESCO adopted operational guidelines on the implementation of the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions in the digital environment and an open roadmap. These frameworks encourage countries to expand access to diverse digital cultural contents, foster digital skills, protect the status of artists and ensure their fair remuneration in the digital environment. This is key for the future of the creative industries, which generate $2,250 billion annually and employ more 18 to 25-year-olds than any other sector.
