BUSAN — The Busan Modern and Contemporary History Museum is set to launch its flagship archive festival, “2026 Archives, Busan,” running from November 27 through December 6 at the museum’s annex.

Operating under the thematic umbrella of "All Archives Become Doors," this year's exhibition seeks to frame documentation not merely as a storage method, but as a transitional threshold connecting historical periods and everyday human experiences. The ten-day event blends grassroots community oral history projects with contemporary artistic interpretations.

Community Voices at the Forefront

The festival kicks off on November 27 with a presentation highlighting the results of the museum's ongoing "City Archive School." Following last year’s documentation of the Suyeong River basin, this year’s initiative turned its focus to Eomgung-dong along the Nakdonggang River.

Citizen recordists spent months interviewing local elders—including traditional eel fishers, wooden boat builders, and iconic freshwater clam soup vendors—securing dozens of historical photographs, video interviews, and comprehensive transcripts that preserve the dwindling maritime culture of the Nakdonggang basin.

Bridging History and Storytelling

On November 28, the festival shifts toward creative applications of archival research through a high-profile talk concert.

Novelist Kim Sum will discuss her sprawling 663-page historical novel The Lost Person, which meticulously reconstructs a single day in Busan on September 16, 1947. She will be joined by webtoon artist Nam Jung-hoon, whose illustrated work The Refugee Girl recently captured acclaim at the Seoul International Book Fair.

Rounding out the panel is Busan city official Cho Jae-eun, who will introduce the "Note Connecting Hearts" campaign—an initiative designed to turn elderly residents into active narrators of their own histories, fostering empathy across generations.

Event Details and Accessibility

The festival program is rounded out by a December 5 guest lecture by documentary photographer Kim Dae-young, who transforms raw historical images into fine art.

While an exhibition booth tracking the museum’s archival milestones will remain open to the public daily from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM without registration, seating for the symposium, talk concerts, and special lectures is limited. Free pre-registration opened on November 11 via the official Busan Modern and Contemporary History Museum website.

City cultural officials hope the event will inspire a broader public appreciation for how ordinary personal narratives contribute to the collective tapestry of urban history.

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