Park Ji-hyang is passionate in everything she does. CAH was glad to have an interview with her. Every word from her mouth was truly impressive.

 

CAH: You have been working as a part-time instructor since 2011 in Chung-Ang University. You are teaching The Understanding of Modern Art this semester. What made you to change your career from a curator to an instructor in CAU?

 

PARK: I wanted to undergo many experiences related to art. This is why I have once been a curator. I went to the United Stated to study when I was a junior and when I finished working as a Culture desk in CAH. I loved drawing, watching arts, and understanding them. I was sure that there was a chemical reaction between the art and myself. I wanted to prove this and tell other people about it. I also wanted to tell people why art exists and how it affects one’s life. At the time, I determined to become an instructor.

 

CAH: What does Art means to you?

 

PARK: Art is not confined to its field. It is applied to everywhere in the world. One of my students whose major is Law always actively participates in class and shows his interest in art. And I asked him. “Why are you so interested in art?　You are a law student.” He said he is so enthralled by art that he wants to study deep into a cultural festival related law. Art exists in everywhere even in Advertising Creation, Laws, and Political Science. There is the Korea International Interchange Center. Through this center, many other countries share one another’s culture and art by holding exhibition in each other’s country. This center also invites some celebrities to let people know about Korean culture and makes them better understand about the origins of Korean art. Art has soft power. Art does not force people to do something. It rather moves one’s mind and causes him/her to change behaviors voluntarily. Let’s assume that you have many boy friends or girl friends. But, you would act differently to only the one who is in your mind. Why is it so? This is because your mind is moved by him/her. The only power that can definitely change one’s action is determination in mind. Music can move one’s mind and make a person bahave differently. Even war is breaks out because the sovereign’s mind has changed by a trivial event. Art is great in that it can actually change one’s action. This is because art is important in future’s industry as well. I named the moment when your mind is moved as ‘A-ha! Moment.’ By the momentarily realization, your mind has moved and you can better understand the world of art.

 

CAH: How was Chung-Ang Herald when you were working as a reporter?

 

PARK: I think it was similar to today’s CAH. As you know, it is really difficult to work as a reporter and study at the same time. However, reporter work was a lot more worthwhile than people expect. The only memory I have in university life is working as a reporter. I, fortunately, run CAH the way I wanted. I visited many arts forum and had interviews. How can a student meet such a person as the president of art management society? In an interview with him, I　asked questions that I was curious about for a long time. Collecting news and writing articles in CAH　played an important role in designing my life. Experience in CAH taught me more things beyond the role of school textbooks. There are many CAH reporters who has been successful. This shows that CAH　somewhat helped them grow.

 

CAH: Can you give some words to CAH reporters who are working now?

 

PARK:　I hope students to find out what they sincerely want to do and approach their dreams with proper directions. Write articles not for the readers but for yourself. They are a representative of other students of their age. What they are interested in may be similar to that of other students’. Hence, articles they wrote with interest can be good information to others as well. Choose topic that you are interested in.