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The Korean word for “alum,” “dongchang,” is a Sino-Korean word using the characters for “same” (同) and “window” (窓)—“those who look through the same window.” This lyrical and imaginative expression hearkens back to the windows of one’s school, through which one looked at clouds passing by, greeted friends making their way across the field, or handed the things borrowed from the next classroom back. Through that window, we learned things that could not be read from books, shared things that could not be found in classrooms, and helped each other grow as humans.

Even on a snowy day, the alumni of the “ACC Professional” program made their way to the Multi-Purpose Studio in ACC Creation. The “ACC Culture Education Alumni Association,” which meets its third anniversary this year, is an association of those who look through the same window but dream of new things beyond the shared window. The awkwardness of the meeting soon gave way to elated conversations about shared interests and things they had been working on. Let us take a look at the dreams shared through that window in the meeting.

A Time for Meeting and Inspiration, “ACC Culture Education Alumni Association”

The “ACC Culture Education Alumni Association” was divided into three parts. Part 1 was a “Meeting with a Professional,” a special lecture delivered by artist Kim Yong Hun on the themes of “AI and art.” In it, Kim introduced the participants to works on the relationship between AI technology and humans that he had created under the Shinseungback Kimyonghun group: “Cloud Face” (2012), which was collected through facial recognition algorithm; “Nondance Dance 2” (2024), a dance that is not recognized as one by AI; and “FADTCHA,” an application that posts CAPTCHA images that only humans can recognize as such, along with the intent behind each work.

Part 2 was the “Meeting for Sharing Experiences and Filling Inspirations,” a group-based networking session moderated by professionals who had served as lecturers in the “ACC Professional” program. This session proved to be particularly popular among the participants in that not only were they able to receive mentoring from professionals in their chosen field, but they were also able to network with other alumni from the program with shared interests. The last part of the event saw The Synthesizer Club, a community formed by ACC Culture Education participants, hosting a performance.

Filling the Gap between the School and the Field through “ACC Professional”

The predecessor of the “ACC Professional” program was the “Expert Vocational Academy” program, which ran from 2015 to 2021. With the integration of the National Asian Culture Center (ACC) in 2022, the “ACC Culture Education” brand was launched, along with the reorganization of the training program into a stage-based, field-oriented program for up-and-coming professionals.

Every March, the ACC hosts the “ACC Professional Education Overview” event, which introduces the major curricula offered for that year and the processes involved. Because the program fills in the gap between school education and fieldwork in a practical and step-by-step manner, it has proved to be quite popular, with trainees coming from all over Korea to attend the programs.

If the “Vocational Survey” program functions as an entry-level introduction to prospective professionals, “Content Development” serves as an in-depth program intended for university juniors, offering three stages in a year-long program. The “Content Implementation” program is offered to those who have completed both of the previous programs, where students who have achieved distinctions are awarded opportunities for practical work and exhibition. Finally, the “Capacity-Building” program consists of workshops that cater to artistic creators in the field who seek to integrate new technologies into their work. How did the alumni who have taken part in the “ACC Culture Education Alumni Association” that day describe their growth through the program? Let’s hear from the alumni themselves.

One More Day Spent Together, ACC Culture Education Alumni

Kang Ro-un, a university student majoring in painting, came in contact with media work using the metaverse in the “Content Development” program.

Composer and media artist Byeon Yu-yeol took part in the Unreal Engine Bootcamp Real-Time Audio-Visual & Lighting Content workshop, a part of ACC Professional’s “Capacity-Building” catalog.

Artist Jeon Youjin, who served as the moderator for this event, was responsible for the “Sounds for Media Creation: A to Z” course in the “ACC Professional.” She also serves as one of the mentors in “The Synthesizer Club,” a club made up of ACC Professional alumni.

Wrapping Up the “ACC Culture Education Alumni Association”

The Synthesizer Club’s performance, which was prepared through a month-long practice session, wrapped up the event with a round of applause from the alumni. It was a place of communication where people from various fields gathered together to share their dreams, passions, and inspirations. As an alumnus of ACC Culture Education, I wonder how far the new world they dreamed of and unfolded through the same window will stretch. I look forward to their unlimited imagination and challenges.