Themed ‘Seoul’s Night, Seoul’s Light,’ Open to General and Student Divisions
July 1 to 31; 44 Works to Be Selected, Total Prize of KRW 25 Million
The Seoul Metropolitan Government is holding the ‘2021 Seoul Public Design Competition’ under the theme ‘Seoul’s Night, Seoul’s Light,’ aiming to make Seoul a city that is beautiful at night.
The ‘Seoul Public Design Competition,’ launched in 2007 as a form of ‘citizen-participatory public design’ under the vision of ‘a Seoul built together with its citizens,’ selects a new theme each year, invites fresh and creative ideas from citizens, and selects and awards outstanding works. Award-winning works are not only given the opportunity to be exhibited as actual installations but are also installed throughout Seoul, establishing the competition as a participatory event that citizens can enjoy.
The competition recruits entrants in two divisions—a general division open to anyone aged 19 or older, and a student division for middle and high school students—and accepts submissions in two categories: ‘Seoul Nighttime Tourism Content’ and ‘Public Design for the Neighborhood at Night.’
‘Seoul Nighttime Tourism Content’ targets public designs that use light to make Seoul’s nights enjoyable, such as photo zones and rides linked to ‘Seoul Light,’ while ‘Public Design for the Neighborhood at Night’ invites public designs that can comfortably and safely protect neighbors from crime and darkness that occur on roads such as walking paths, routes home, and roadsides.
This competition plans to select a total of 44 works and to award KRW 25 million in prize money along with the Mayor of Seoul’s Award. Submitted designs will undergo a comprehensive evaluation based on usability, creativity, harmony, aesthetics, and relevance to the theme, with 21 works selected in the general division and 23 in the student division, and the final award-winning works are scheduled to be announced in August. In addition, some of the award-winning works will later be exhibited in connection with Seoul Light (Seoul Light, DDP Public Light) held at DDP, and will be used for public design improvement projects across Seoul.
Meanwhile, through the competition, a total of 755 works were produced as actual installations from 2007 to 2020 and installed in public spaces in Seoul (77 locations) such as museums, parks, plazas, and subway stations. Works selected last year were installed at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), offering citizens a new experience of nighttime content using light.
Anyone can apply for the ‘2021 Public Design Competition’ without any special eligibility restrictions, and applicants may submit up to one entry per person in either the general or student division (team entries are not permitted). Applications can be submitted for one month, from July 1 to 31, on the website of the ‘Seoul Excellent Public Design Certification System.’ Detailed information on how to apply can be found on ‘Seoul Notices and Public Announcements,’ the ‘Seoul in My Hand’ website, or the ‘Seoul Public Design Competition Blog.’
Yoo Yeon-sik, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Culture Headquarters, said, “I hope this competition will be an opportunity to bring an enjoyable and safe nightscape to the daily lives of citizens who are weary from the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic,” adding, “I ask for great interest and participation in this competition so that citizens’ fresh ideas can once again be showcased throughout the city of Seoul this year.”