Site visits: Day 2

As part of our group visits, as mentioned in the previous post, Alpa showed us a small alleyway near Jongno where many dignitaries used to pass. This small alleyway was built alongside the main road during the Joseon period for commoners to walk and not be seen.

I decided to take the group to Inwangsan mountain because this is place that I have felt most engaged with since arriving in Seoul. As explained in a previous blogpost, walking away from the retail street, and through older mid-rise residential buildings, apatu and finally the village, a series of layers begin to reveal themselves. We walked past several retaining walls and finally reached the small village. A Shamanist ceremony was taking place when we arrived consisting of the Shaman (female leader who connects spirits with earth) dancing and making eerie sounds, a whole dead pig and free rice cake for us.

I asked the group to draw something they could see which they felt related to my project:

Clockwise from top left: Jon, Catrina, Robert, Tomi, Rosa, Alpa, Beni

The sketches are mostly of tall retaining walls which guide the paths that weave their way around the village lanes and of rooftops seen as you look back over the village from above. It was interesting to see how others perceived the village. It would be useful to go back for a third time a draw just the walls which dictate the routes around the village.

L-r: Alleyway near Jongo - Alpa's visit, Namdaemun market - Beni's visit

For Beni’s site visit we went to Namdaemun market and ate noodles in a tightly packed noodle alley between two buildings. Rosa took us to Seoul Station, a popular area for the homeless to congregate. The following day, Amanda took us to a show apartment in a new residential development. It was interesting to see behind the one of the concrete facades and have a glimpse into what life might be like inside one of these apartments. The flat felt to me much like the equivalent in England, only more spacious and fully equipped with a Kimchi maker!