The Yangpyeong Agricultural Art Forum held its From the Soil exhibition at Gallery Capore in Gangha-myeon, Yangpyeong, from October 30 to November 2. Now in its second year, the exhibition showcased works created from agricultural products, including a Yangpyeong map made of grains, a Yangpyeong map made of vegetables, a Yangpyeong map made of Korean wheat, and fermented foods.

Nenia also took part by exhibiting items such as its Yangpyeong Map Bread made with domestic Korean wheat.

△ Healthy Yangpyeong, Kim Ji-hee of the Lee Mi-ran Fermentation School (Photo = Nenia)

△ Delicious Yangpyeong, Choi Hyun-mi of the Lee Mi-ran Fermentation School (Photo = Nenia)

Chairperson Lee Mi-ran said, “Amid the climate crisis, we are working toward a major transformation in agriculture, but it is projected that agricultural output worldwide — not only in Korea — may decline by 10% each year.” She continued, “The uncertain future of humanity and of Yangpyeong cannot be solved solely by the designation of an ‘Eco-friendly Agriculture Special Zone.’”

She added, “The Yangpyeong Agricultural Art Forum seeks to present a new vision by enabling each farm to create experiences, healing, and restorative programs, and by generating high added value from agricultural products — ultimately becoming a hidden gem of the Seoul metropolitan area that everyone will want to visit.” Her ambition is to elevate agriculture to the level of art in Yangpyeong.

The Yangpyeong Agricultural Art Forum operates committee divisions including: Healing Agriculture; Village Revitalization & Public Communication; Tourism Agriculture; Forest Products; Eco-friendly Agricultural Processing; Future Food & Fermentation; Experience-based Agriculture; Garden Division; Crop Cultivation Division

Chairperson Lee Mi-ran is an expert who has taught traditional fermented-food techniques to countless students over the past 20 years. She borrowed the former Gangnam Elementary School — closed in 1994 — from the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education and opened the Lee Mi-ran Fermentation School there in 2018. In one area of the schoolyard, more than 500 onggi jars are filled with traditional fermented foods such as soy sauce, soybean paste, and vinegar, each with its own unique flavor and aroma.

Moon Young-jin, CEO of Nenia, participates in the forum as the head of the Eco-friendly Agricultural Processing Division. For this exhibition, Nenia presented its Yangpyeong Bread Map and eco-friendly Korean-wheat processed foods. Drawing on its experience as a company specializing in eco-friendly food processing, Nenia plans to contribute actively to revitalizing the processing of agricultural products in Yangpyeong.

 

△ Commemorative photo of exhibiting artists, Chairperson Lee Mi-ran (in red), and others. (Photo = Nenia)