Consider Ihwa Mural Village one of your many guilty pleasures in Seoul. Respectfully explore this old historic mountainside village that has literally been transformed into a work of art.
Just like Bukchon Hanok Village was saved by the people of Seoul, the artistic charm of Ihwa Mural Village was born in the same manner. Ihwa-dong is one of Seoul’s oldest neighborhoods located on top of a hill. Before 2006, it was a decaying suburb many didn’t pay attention to (remind you of the history of other places I’ve visited before like Matera or Park City Utah?) It was home to poor families and the elderly who couldn’t afford housing in flatter, more central parts of the city. This put Ihwa on the radar for the next place to be demolished. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism saw life and a history behind this mountainside village, so decided to create a project called Art in the City to improve Ihwa-dong’s conditions. In 2006, the area became known as Ihwa Mural Village.
Me hopping on this man’s motorcycle for the ride of my life
In 2006, 70 artists were commissioned to create paintings and art installations that took things as simple as a crack in a wall and turned it into a woman’s smile. The goal was to revitalize the old historic village and turn it into the hip, trendy and artistic Ihwa Mural Village within a matter of 6 months. This led to more problems than it did benefits. The Art in the City project worked and led to an influx of tourists and locals, but it also led to more noise, littering and unwanted graffiti. By 2007, locals had more than half of the murals removed in order to decrease Ihwa Mural Village’s appeal.
Just chilling with the girls
In 2010, a Korean TV show called 2 Days & 1 Night was filmed in the Ihwa Mural Village. The centerpiece during the TV show was a wing mural with two white angel wings. The mural went viral causing the residents to have to remove it in within months. More wing murals have appeared since in an effort to revive the TV shows popular fad.
In 2013, artists strived to inform locals about the importance and connection between art and the people of Ihwa. How visiting Ihwa Mural Village is all about stepping into someone’s home, how this was a local community where everyone knew each other, and that respect was key. That year another 60 pieces of art were commissioned at Ihwa Mural Village, for a grand total of over 100 pieces of art.
In 2016, the problem took a hit again on the locals and more artwork was abolished. Some of the more notable works that vanished included the two main artworks that cover the infamous stairs that lead up the mountainside village. One was rich in floral designs and the other was fish. Today, the steps are painted over in grey. I found the remnants of the fish décor on the outside of a store’s doorsteps in Ihwa Mural Village, so stopped to take a picture. While walking down the steps that were covered in grey paint, a Korean TV show drama was being filmed. More evidence that points to the fact that not much has been done to keep the place under the radar.
If you’re willing to make the hike (literally, this is not for the faint of heart!) and be respectful and mindful of the locals in the area, you’ll fall in love with Ihwa Mural Village. It offers a mix of cafés, museums from the Korean War (many refugees squatted here post-war), cute boutiques and of course art. However, please be mindful that you need to be respectful when visiting this area. Learn how to be a sustainable traveler while seeing wanderlust areas like Ihwa Mural Village or Rue Cremieux in Paris in my guide.
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1 comment
Ihwa Mural Village is still such a cute place today, but it’s so sad that fish paint is now gone, it was honestly a super gorgeous sight to see. I do understand this is a very complex matter for those actually living in the area, though.
Xoxo,
Laura // afinnontheloose.com