In Saving Beauty, Korean-German philosopher Byung-Chul Han defines the aesthetic of contemporary society as a pursuit of “smoothness.” He notes that aesthetic experiences today are becoming increasingly “smooth, clean, and uniform”—and that art is no exception. Yet, Han argues that true meaning and beauty emerge not from flawlessness, but from imperfection, conflict, negation, unfamiliarity, and contradiction. To restore this depth of experience, he proposes an “aesthetics of negativity.”

Inspired by Han’s critique of the “aesthetics of smoothness” and the excess of positivity in contemporary culture, the 2025 Seoul Performing Arts Festival explores the complexity of our time—its discourses and evolving artistic forms—through the lens of entanglement and friction.

This year’s program unfolds around several thematic currents: new relationships among art, science, and technology in the digital age; expanded and transformed performance languages of sound and new music; contemporary dance vocabularies reimagined in collaboration with VC&A Dance Reflection; and perspectives on contemporary issues from artists across the Asia-Pacific region.

Beginning October 16, the festival will run for four weeks, featuring 22 works in theater, dance, and interdisciplinary art, alongside workshops and collaborative creation labs. Through the many layers of “Entanglement and Friction” expressed by these artists and artworks, the festival seeks to create a space for rethinking the true meaning of beauty in our time.

We deeply thank all those who continue to journey with us.

Kyu Choi, Artistic Director