Ewha Womans University will host the international media art festival “EMAP (Ewha Media Art Presentation) 2026” across its campus from May 11 to 16, commemorating the university’s 140th anniversary. The program will include a range of events such as exhibitions, performances, and outdoor screenings.
 
EMAP was first launched in 2001, inspired by the legacy of media art pioneer Nam June Paik, who served as a chair professor at Ewha Womans University. Now in its 15th edition, this year’s festival also marks the 20th anniversary of Paik’s passing, alongside the university’s milestone anniversary.
 
Over the years, the festival has presented diverse forms of media art—including single-channel video, installation, interactive art, and performance—while playing a significant role in fostering students’ creative capacities by spotlighting both emerging and established women media artists from Korea and abroad. In 2024, EMAP also collaborated with Frieze Film Seoul to present “EMAP × Frieze Film 2024.”

Meanwhile, the exhibition 《A Million Silver Bamboo: The Rain We Share》, presented as part of EMAP 2026, examines contemporary environmental issues through the lens of the climate crisis and the “sensory experience of water.”
 
Structured around the circulation of water, the exhibition explores how climate change manifests across interconnected environments—including the atmosphere, land, infrastructure, the human body, and the sea. Featuring works by approximately 40 artists from Korea and abroad, including Apichatpong Weerasethakul and Marcel Broodthaers, the exhibition presents a wide range of artistic approaches.
 
The event has also drawn attention for the involvement of leading figures in the global art world. Frances Morris CBE, Director Emerita of Tate, serves as an advisor, while the exhibition is co-curated by John Kenneth Paranada (former curator at the Sainsbury Centre), Sungah Serena Choo (independent curator), and Suyeong Lim (independent curator).

In addition, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the passing of Nam June Paik, a special exhibition organized by the Nam June Paik Art Center titled 《Nam June Paik, Ecologist of the Videosphere》 will be held during the same period at ECC Isambong Hall.
 
Moon Kyungwon, Dean of the College of Art and Design at Ewha Womans University, stated, “As EMAP has grown into an international media art event grounded in Nam June Paik’s visionary thinking and experimental spirit, this special exhibition will serve as a meaningful opportunity to reflect on the history and significance of EMAP.”

References

• EMAP 2026
• 핀포인트뉴스, 이화여대, 창립 140주년 맞아 국제 미디어아트 페스티벌 ‘EMAP 2026’ 개최, 2026.04.27
• 동아일보, 이화여대, 미디어아트 페스티벌 ‘EMAP 2026’ 개최, 2026.04.27