-Exhibition Featuring 10 Leading Artists with Disabilities from Both Countries Builds a Sustainable Platform for Ongoing Exchange-Two-Year Cultural Exchange Journey Culminates in Concrete Gains for Arts Collaboration
TORONTO and OTTAWA and CANMORE, Alberta and SEOUL, South Korea, Nov. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In To mark the “2024–2025 Korea–Canada Year of Cultural Exchanges,” the Korea-Canada disability arts exchange initiative is underway with support from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea (Minister Chae Hwi-young) and Canadian Heritage (Minister Steven Guilbeault). The program is co-organized by the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (President Park Chang-sik, hereinafter KOFICE), the Korea Disability Arts & Culture Center (Chairman Bang Gui-hee, hereinafter KDAC), and National accessArts Centre (hereinafter NaAC), in collaboration with the Canada Council for the Arts and the Embassy of Canada to the Republic of Korea.
As part of this initiative, Korea×Canada Disability Arts: Expanding Boundaries and Possibilities—following a successful three-city tour in Canada—will be presented at Modu Art Space in Seoul from November 5 to December 4.
Expanding Boundaries and Possibilities: An Exhibition Breaking Barriers between Disability and Non-Disability
Over roughly two weeks, ten leading disability artists from both countries shared their practices through exhibitions, talks, workshops, and other collaborative programs—exchanging perspectives and affirming the values of inclusion and creativity beyond the disability and non-disability divide.
This exhibition incorporates multiple accessibility features—including poster audio descriptions, Braille texts, and easy-to-read guides—to dismantle barriers between people with and without disabilities and create a viewing environment open to all. By “Expanding Boundaries,” artists and visitors seek new possibilities for empathy and communication through an understanding of difference.
Korean participating artist Ryu Dayoung remarked, “It was an honor to communicate on an international stage through my work as a disability artist, underscoring the spirit of collaboration.” Canadian participating artist Laurie M. Landry added, “This exchange went beyond a simple exhibition—it was a dialogue through art between our two countries, and art has no language barrier.”
Building on the cultural-exchange experience gained during the Canadian tour, the Seoul presentation will meet Korean audiences with an expanded scale and deeper content.
Two Years of Cultural Exchange Culminate in Artistic Collaboration
The “2024–2025 Korea–Canada Year of Cultural Exchanges” has provided a practical platform for bilateral communication and cooperation through culture, spanning performing and visual arts, music, dance, film, animation, and literature. Advanced through broad partnerships—ranging from national and public institutions to private arts organizations and academia—the initiative has substantially deepened mutual understanding and expanded the scope of exchange between the peoples of both countries.
Park Chang-sik, President of the KOFICE, noted, “The 2024–2025 Korea–Canada Year of Cultural Exchanges has been a meaningful period in which our two nations gained a deeper understanding of each other’s cultures while opening new avenues for collaboration grounded in diversity and inclusion.” He added, “We hope this exhibition will serve as a springboard for even closer cooperation, building a sustainable foundation for cultural exchange between Korea and Canada.”
