Experts showcase AI, CGI and architecture innovations at South Korean forum

SEOUL – The Herald Design Forum 2024 was held on Tuesday in Sebitseom, southern Seoul, at the Han River Floating Cultural Complex, with the theme “Inspiration, without limits? » inviting leading architects, designers, visual content creators and experts in cutting-edge technology who are pushing their boundaries in the fields.

“Over the past 13 years, the Herald Design Forum has brought together more than 100 design experts to discuss how design has evolved and changed our society, joined so far by more than a million viewers,” said Choi Jin-young, CEO and publisher of Herald Corp. during the forum.

“This year’s forum “Inspiration, Limitless?” asks the question of how far we can push our inspiration and curiosity in terms of design. I look forward to hearing the opinions of the experts today,” he added.

The 14th edition of the forum brought together 13 speakers for three sessions – architecture, extended reality (XR), artificial intelligence (AI), visual effects (VFX) and Creators.

The forum began with congratulatory remarks from Yu In-chon, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Seoul Vice Mayor for Political Affairs Kim Byung-min.

“I would like to express my sincere congratulations on the opening of Asia’s largest design forum. I hope the forum will provide the public with an opportunity to learn the value of design from world-renowned designers. The government will make every effort to support the fields of design and visual content,” Yu said in a video speech.

As first speakers, Pritzker Prize-winning architect duo Anne Lacaton and Jean Philippe Vassal delivered a lecture titled “Optimism” and shared their thoughts on architectural design, expressing respect for what exists and how they avoided the approach of demolishing buildings or nature to build a new one.

French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte spoke about the Pompidou Center project underway in Seoul in building 63 in Yeouido. The Center Pompidou branch in Seoul is expected to open next year.

The three architects spoke in a roundtable Q&A session during which they shared their own philosophies on architecture. “My architectural philosophy is to want to do something for others, not for myself. I think it’s really important,” Wilmotte said.

The imagination through XR”.

Ahn Chang-wook, professor at Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology and creator of South Korea’s first AI composer, spoke at the AI ​​session, introducing South Korea’s first AI composer. Korea, EvoM.

The VFX session was led by award-winning animation designer Kim Gryun and two experts from Weta FX, one of the world’s leading visual effects companies. Weta CG supervisor Choi Jong-jin, who dedicated himself to creating realistic and stunning water scenes in the 2022 blockbuster “Avatar 2: The Way of Water”, and Hwang Jung-rock, facial modeler senior at Weta FX, stressed the importance of the artists’ work. creativity in facial modeling, sharing his work on “Avatar 2: The Way of Water.

A special talk was held in the last session with visual content creators – visual artists Kim Ha-na, Koo Ji-min and Hong In-hye – sharing their experiences as a webtoon creator, emoji designer or designer. They discussed the importance of folk art forms and explored their sources of inspiration.

The Herald Design Forum 2024 hosted the first design competition, titled the Herald Eco Emoticon Contest, to reward designers for the best emoticon, or emotion icon, that raises awareness of the climate crisis.

The grand prize went to Kim Jae-hyo for the character “Jikigom,” winning 5 million won ($3,724), while Jo Eun-yee, Yang Eun-seo, Jang Yun-jeong and Kim Joo-hui won the Excellence Award, awarded one million cash prizes for each winner.