EMPHASIS ON minimizing contact through “untact*” services has started a new age for the arts. Back when offline gatherings were still allowed, musicals and concerts were held at their offline venues, and people were free to roam around museums for hours on end. With heightened social distancing measures and restrictions, however, more and more artists have agreed to go along with the “ontact**” trend of showcasing their productions. From the field of visual arts to performing arts, here is how the culture industry is coping with the COVID-19 crisis.

Smaller screens

   With the Korean government strongly advising people not to go to confined, crowded spaces, movie theaters were the first to be affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. Even those who have always preferred watching movies on big screens avoided going to the cinemas this year. According to data from the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), a total of 1.83 million people went to the cinemas last month, in contrast to the 14.7 million tallied a year ago—an 87.5% plunge in numbers. Due to this unprecedented crisis, many directors and distributing agencies were forced to find alternative ways to release movies.

   South Korean action thriller Time to Hunt’s Netflix release hinted a breakthrough. In an official statement regarding the film’s distribution, Kwon Ji-won, the CEO of Little Big Picture, suggested that uploading Time to Hunt on Netflix and making the film available to almost 200 countries around the world would promote the Korean film industry. Another example of this digital premiere trend is Disney’s live-action Mulan remake; the blockbuster movie debuted on Disney+, the company’s streaming service. Likewise, new films have become more accessible to people through various Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms, including HBO Max, Watcha Play, and Amazon Prime Video. With more people at home signing up for these OTT services that allow them to stream videos through the Internet, movie makers had to accept showcasing their films on smaller screens. Meanwhile, multiplex chains CGV and Megabox had to shut down some of their theaters temporarily. As a desperate measure, CGV and Megabox offered reasonable deals to rent the whole theater space for as low as ₩30,000 for a two-hour film.

Ontact K-pop concerts

   K-pop fans around the world also went through a significant change in the way they consume content of their idols. Because of the close seating arrangements and the nature of the fans’ cheering culture, hosting offline concerts and fan meetings (meet and greet sessions) were frowned upon. Many K-pop artists had to cancel their performance plans because of the rising number of COVID-19 cases. Crisis soon turned into an opportunity to stream “ontact” concerts for fans around the world. Big Hit Entertainment, BTS’ agency, hosted the first “Bang Bang Con” in April; recordings of the K-pop band’s previous concerts were available to everyone for free, and it was reported that more than 2.24 million people were watching simultaneously at its peak***. In June, BTS held their second virtual concert, “Bang Bang Con: The Live.” This time, fans had to buy tickets, just like how it is at an offline concert. Tickets were sold on Weverse, a platform that provides various content related to BTS. Ticket price was ₩29,000 (a lot cheaper than offline concert tickets which go over ₩100,000, and Yonhap News reported that the show attracted more than 750,000 viewers. On Weverse, fans did not have to worry about the limited seating capacity; unlike offline concerts held in Korea where most stadiums have less than 50,000 seats available, fans did not have to travel or struggle to get tickets to watch BTS on stage. The livestream was a special gift for all the fans who were yearning to see their favorite artists in action.

   Other management companies soon followed this “ontact” way of holding concerts and events. JYP Entertainment launched TWICE’s online concert “World in a Day” in August. The 90-minute show was streamed in 126 countries thanks to the efforts of Beyond Live Corp. Beyond Live is the first-ever company to plan and operate online concerts; the company was established as joint business projects between SM Entertainment, JYP Entertainment, and Naver V Live. Operated by South Korea’s biggest web portal Naver, V Live is an application that broadcasts live videos of K-pop idols. The platform has since expanded its services to lead the field of “culture technology” in Korea. Beyond Live plans on investing in the future of digital performance culture with Augmented Reality (AR) technology and other developments.

Recitals and festivals must go on

   Going to festivals sounds like the worst idea in pandemic times. According to Sports Kyunghyang, annual events such as the World DJ Festival and local festivals in different parts of Korea have been cancelled to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. Some music festivals and recitals were still held in spite of the virus, but the events looked different this year. The Jarasum Jazz Festival, Korea’s biggest jazz festival that originally takes place near Gapyeong, was held online in May. The organizers uploaded studio recordings of different jazz musicians for those who have been waiting for the event****. Videos of this year’s performances and past legendary sessions were available to the public for free on Jarasum Jazz Festival’s YouTube and Naver TV channels. Soon after, organizers launched a fundraiser that would help them support the artists and prepare for the next festival.

   Online recitals also replaced the offline ones held in concert halls. Universal Music announced that Pianist Cho Seong-jin would share his solo recital to a wider audience by livestreaming it on YouTube. Cho later paired up with pianist Yiruma to once again reach out to global viewers. Facebook Korea posted on its official account to inform people of the two musician’s collaboration, which was a part of the COVID-19 fundraiser for the World Health Organization (WHO). It was not just the individual artists who switched to online performances; in June, the National Gug-ak***** Orchestra announced that the team has decided to play in front of empty seats. It has now become a “new normal” for musicians to hold recitals in performance halls without any audience physically present.

Online museums and galleries

   As South Korea entered the Level 2 social distancing stage****** in March and again in August, museums and galleries were forced to close. Starting with state-run institutions, museums and galleries have posted videos and other resources to welcome visitors. In the case of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA), the museum has uploaded more than 500 online content on its website and social media accounts. Videos of curators giving virtual tours and explaining each exhibition are uploaded on the MMCA website’s “Online Museum” tab. On its YouTube channel, people can hear stories on the making of different artworks from the artists through interviews.

   Online archives and virtual exhibitions existed years before the coronavirus threat emerged, but people did not appreciate such functions as much as they do now. Until last year, those who were interested in art and design made physical visits to museums and galleries to observe the artworks up close. With museum closures, however, they now have no choice but to access collections online. Many museums and galleries decided to provide free online exhibitions to stay connected with the community and bring its members closer together through art.

   Yet, it is unlikely that virtual exhibitions will permanently replace the physical ones. “It is similar to how muk-bangs******* cannot completely satisfy the viewers. When people see something appealing—whether it be food or paintings—they want to try it themselves,” said Professor Kim Na-yeon (Lecturer, UIC) in an interview with The Yonsei Annals. Professor Kim explained that people make visits to museums and galleries for the “overall experience.” She commented that virtual and real exhibitions will continue to coexist in the future; no matter how engrossing the online content is, those who want to get the full experience will still try to see the artworks in real life. It is also important to note that pieces of art leave different impressions on people depending on how and where they are displayed. Viewers are influenced by their surroundings when they visit museums. The exhibition setting and the paintings that are displayed nearby all contribute to how people perceive artworks.

More to come

   Professor Kim claimed that it is only natural that museums and galleries are experiencing a paradigm shift, since younger generations are comfortable with doing everything online. With advancements in technological aid, it has become easier to develop virtual exhibitions. Professor Kim also said that posting online content is now a must, and that exhibition managers should be willing to fulfill the changing needs of their viewers. Especially since the COVID-19 outbreak, all artists from across the industry have had to explore ways to host cultural activities on the Internet.

   In particular, musicals faced several difficulties when trying to adopt the “ontact” trend. Because people buy tickets to see the performances offline, many musicals have been held at their original venues. There were some efforts to contain the virus in art centers, such as the government’s social distancing seating arrangements, a guideline to leave every other seat vacant. When COVID-19 cases are reported, the production crew has no choice but to cancel the performances. JoongAng Ilbo reported that the Seoul run of The Phantom of the Opera was suspended in April because two of its cast members tested positive for COVID-19.

   Acknowledging such limitations, the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) has been searching for alternative ways for the musical industry. The KTO recently started streaming Korean musicals such as The Goddess is Watching on Naver TV and V Live. Subtitles were added to make the productions more accessible. More recently, performers for the musical Cats started wearing masks with catlike illustrations when they had to go near the audiences********.

   In an interview with the Annals, Seo Gowooni, who currently works at the performance planning department of Seoul Arts Center, commented that staff members have been discussing ways to improve the quality of the content they are providing to the public. She said that the state-funded arts complex will establish a “performance recording studio” by next year to produce more videos to be uploaded online. The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism (MCST) will subsidize ₩1.5 billion into this project to promote “ontact” performances. “We are still deciding on the price for these online showings,” Seo added. Earlier this year, Seoul Arts Center streamed past performances, including Korean National Ballet’s staging of The Nutcracker, for free to comfort people in times of distress. Unfortunately, artists cannot always provide free service.

   Industry insiders are concerned with how much people are willing to pay for pre-recorded performances. “Unless there is a ‘star member’ or a K-pop idol in the musical cast,” Seo noted, “the production will lack ticket power (popularity among musical fans).” Cutting the ticket price to less than half of what the offline performances cost can attract more viewers, but its sales may not be sufficient enough to pay the performers. Seo argued that the government should implement more COVID-19 relief options to private art centers and performers who have lost their income due to the cancellation of events. In addition to the MCST’s future-oriented investments, the ministry should do its best to answer the cries of unprotected artists; offering direct relief grants or assisting promotional activities for the shows are some options that can alleviate the problem.

*                 *                 *

   Since the beginning of 2020, the global pandemic has greatly changed the way people participate in cultural activities. Those who are under quarantine are advised to follow the “untact” lifestyle and go on the Internet to enjoy cultural activities. While acknowledging that the “ontact” trend has opened new opportunities for development, the move to online was rather abrupt; artists are still in the process of adapting to the changes. Yet, art’s role in society remains consistent. People's sense of community and communication, along with the appreciation for arts, continues to persist during the COVID-19 pandemic.

*Untact: Synonymous to “no contact” or “non-face-to-face”

**Ontact: A portmanteau of online and untact

***CBS News

*****Kukmin Ilbo

*****Gug-ak: Korean traditional music

*******Level 2 social distancing: South Korean government’s guideline restricting the opening of public facilities and offline gatherings of more than 50 people for indoor events or 100 people for outdoor events

*******Muk-bang: Short for “eating” and “broadcast” in Korean; Videos of people eating in front of a live audience.

********The Korea Herald