On the evening of Sept. 9, the usually crowded plaza in front of Guro Digital Complex Station became a festival venue.
The cradle of Korea’s modern textile industry had become a run-down neighborhood after the country was reformed into a heavy industry-oriented, and then again to a technology-focused, economy, but on this day, the virtue of textiles and labor was celebrated highly.
The station’s Exit No. 6, as well as the highway and pillars that used to be covered with glum magnolia paint, were redecorated with colorful paintings. The stems of the multicolored flowers in the mural were linked to buttons, while the stripes and rainbows created a playful but peaceful ambience.
It was the opening ceremony of the “City Guerilla Project in Guro,” a business-art collaboration project to revitalize the nooks and crannies of the metropolis.
Dozens of fashion models strutted in garments with accentuated seam lines and buttons, in an ode to the tens of thousands of textile workers who dedicated their lives to the area. The choir consisting of middle-aged to elderly businessmen of the nearby Seoul Digital Industrial Complex sang out several songs about their lives to the cheers of the audience. People shared snacks and participated in games, forging friendships.
“We would never dream of this happening, but I am so grateful to see all of this,” said Kang Myeong-ja, who designed the runway clothes. “This brought us back to the old days when we put our passion into this district,” she said with excitement.
The project was sponsored by Han Sung Motor, Korea’s largest Mercedes-Benz dealer, which holds numerous corporate social responsibility programs here under the name “Dream Gream.”
For the event, the Dream Gream members have participated in the beautification of the neighborhood by designing and paintings signboards of the nearby kiosks. About 40 students selected from underprivileged families collaborated with local artists appointed by the Seoul Foundation for Arts for the projects.
Han Sung Motor CEO Ulf Ausprung explained that the company had been so thrilled by the positive outcome and feedback for its young artist-nurturing program that it had doubled the number of beneficiaries from 20 to 40 this year, and has already finished its public art program at the Hwanghak-dong Jungang Market in Seoul.
“This CSR doesn’t really have much to do with marketing and sales,” Ausprung said.
“But it is very important for us to give back to the society what we have. And given the beautiful design of our products sold, it is natural that we support the arts program. The Dream Gream project has come to its fourth year and I think it will go for more years to come,” he said.