At a museum, participants view Eungno Ko’s paintings and let their minds rest in the low, long resonance of a singing bowl. The Hongseong-gun Public Health Center said it is recruiting participants for the third round of its “Digital Detox Meditation Class,” which combines art appreciation and meditation, on June 30.
A Meeting of Art and Meditation… One Corner of the “Health-Span Extension Ten-Up Project”
The program was set up as part of the 「Health-Span Extension Ten-Up (10Up) Project」, aimed at improving local residents’ mental health and extending their health span. A key feature is that it integrates art appreciation and meditation to reduce fatigue accumulated from smartphone and other digital device use and help participants restore balance in body and mind.
Round 3 will be held at the art museum of the Koam Eungno Saengga Memorial Hall, in collaboration with the county’s cultural heritage efforts. Also known as “Koam’s House,” the site is a space created on the birthplace grounds of Koam Eungno, a master of Korean modern art who was born in Hongseong. Born in Hongbuk-eup in 1904, Eungno was an artist who worked across East and West through character abstraction and a series of figural works. The memorial hall houses 863 pieces, including his artifacts and artworks. The museum itself—where the thatched-roof birthplace, the exhibition building, and the lotus pond park come together—is considered a shelter-like place to rest.
Meet Eungno Ko Through a Docent’s Commentary, Fill the Space With Singing Bowl Vibrations for Rest
The program is operated in two parts. In Part 1, participants view Koam Eungno’s works together with a museum docent’s explanations, finding emotional stability. In Part 2, the singing bowl meditation class continues. A singing bowl is a bowl-shaped metal instrument; when participants strike it or rub its rim, the deep sound and vibrations help release tension in the body and settle the mind. Participants step away from a typical lecture format and experience relaxation of mind and body in front of the artworks—inside the sound.
The “Digital Detox Meditation Class” has been moving around Hongseong’s cultural spaces and holding sessions one after another. The first round was held on April 1 around Hongju Fortress and at the Hongju Thousand-Year Cultural Experience Center, and the second round took place in May at the Hanok-style Hongju Hyanggyo Etiquette Hall. Both sessions, which combined history touring and meditation, drew strong responses, and the third round moved the venue to an art museum, adding more color to participants’ art appreciation.
First 10 Hongseong Residents, Free of Charge—Applications Open Starting July 6
The recruitment target is 10 residents of Hongseong-gun. Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis from July 6 to July 17, and there is no participation fee. The program will run at Koam Eungno Saengga Memorial Hall starting at 1:30 p.m. on July 20, allowing any county resident to take part without burden.
Jeong Young-rim, head of the Hongseong-gun Public Health Center, said, “I hope this becomes a time for residents, who are worn out by busy daily routines and digital device use, to recharge their bodies and minds through art and meditation.” The Hongseong-gun Public Health Center plans to continue a variety of programs aimed at promoting county residents’ mental health and forming healthy daily habits.
