Interdisciplinary Research Collective
Getbol Lab is an interdisciplinary research collective comprised of media artist Sunjoo Lee, sound artist Unknown Kim, curator/art historian Keumhwa Kim, landscape historian Jung-Hwa Kim, and curator/researcher Yeni Ma.
Although often assessed solely for their potential as landfills, the Korean tidal flats, referred to as Getbol, gained global recognition when South Korea successfully designated its extensive tidal plains as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021. Beyond serving as mere landfills, these wetlands function as rich reservoirs of biodiversity and highly effective carbon sequestrators. This realization has prompted us to delve into the intricate relationship between Getbol, humans, and more-than-human, exploring it from various interdisciplinary perspectives.
The collective, active since 2023, is on a captivating journey to explore the world of tidal flats and wetlands as hybrid spaces bridging land and sea. Getbol Lab's primary objective is to investigate the wetland as a metaphor for resilience and constant change in both topography and ecosystem. This exploration will be multidisciplinary, drawing on perspectives from anthropology, technology, oceanology, and post-human critical theory.
Although often assessed solely for their potential as landfills, the Korean tidal flats, referred to as Getbol, gained global recognition when South Korea successfully designated its extensive tidal plains as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021. Beyond serving as mere landfills, these wetlands function as rich reservoirs of biodiversity and highly effective carbon sequestrators. This realization has prompted us to delve into the intricate relationship between Getbol, humans, and more-than-human, exploring it from various interdisciplinary perspectives.
The collective, active since 2023, is on a captivating journey to explore the world of tidal flats and wetlands as hybrid spaces bridging land and sea. Getbol Lab's primary objective is to investigate the wetland as a metaphor for resilience and constant change in both topography and ecosystem. This exploration will be multidisciplinary, drawing on perspectives from anthropology, technology, oceanology, and post-human critical theory.
Getbol Lab organizes multidisciplinary seminars, workshops, and site-specific residency programs, fostering collaborations with artists, researchers, and curators not only in South Korea but also globally. This establishes an international network of wetlands from an artistic point of view.
Currently, the collective is engaged in the thought-provoking project "10000 Arts 10000 Acts: ?The Next!" supporting art projects depicting the future of the city through artistic imagination. The focus is on SGD's three keywords: "Climate Crisis and Response," "Sustainable Community," and "Urban Infrastructure."
Getbol Lab invites you to join us in unraveling the magic and dynamism inherent in these ecosystems, such as unpredictability, disorder, anymacy, complexity, hybridity, and resilience.
Currently, the collective is engaged in the thought-provoking project "10000 Arts 10000 Acts: ?The Next!" supporting art projects depicting the future of the city through artistic imagination. The focus is on SGD's three keywords: "Climate Crisis and Response," "Sustainable Community," and "Urban Infrastructure."
Getbol Lab invites you to join us in unraveling the magic and dynamism inherent in these ecosystems, such as unpredictability, disorder, anymacy, complexity, hybridity, and resilience.
Participating Members
Keumhwa Kim
Art historian and independent curator based in Berlin with curatorial focus on the conditions of a (post-)anthropocene world and postcolonial awakening.
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