7th Belgian-Korean Comics Exhibition 'Together'

The theme of the 2020 Belgian-Korean Comics Exhibition is ‘Connection’ and tells stories about ‘Being Together.’ As we face the paradoxical challenge of living in this age of non-contact -or “untact” as the South Koreans have coined it- due to Covid-19 in a hyper-connected society, the coming celebration of the 120th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between Korea and Belgium next year gives us pause to question what it means to be together, and what connections mean.

Building a connection often starts with curiosity, which accompanies excitement for the unknown. Friendships are formed and bonds are created through the process of getting to know each other, and through the discovery of commonalities and differences. It has been 120 years since Belgium and Korea have established diplomatic relations, but there’s still a sense of excitement and curiosity in our interactions. Introducing and exchanging Korean and Belgian comics through exhibitions such as this is part of an ongoing effort from both sides to get to know each other better because comics is a familiar art form for both nations and a strong commonality that connects us together. Through comics, we can look into each other’s lives more closely and better understand what it means to be together.

For this 7th Belgian-Korean Comics Exhibition, we chose four Korean manhwa: Dooly the Little Dinosaur, Narrow Room, Woori & Sunhwa, CUBIC, and three Belgian comics: Us Two Together, Sugar and Madame Catherine.