Israel on the world map!
The 10th annual South Korea International Art Festival is underway.
On 2.10.23 the events of the 9th International Festival opened in South Korea, in which approximately 350 artists from 52 countries from around the world participated.
The director of the HaegeumGang museum Mr. Yoo Cheon Ayoub and the president of the jury and the organizing committee Gloria Grau Ruiz selected about 19 artists from around the world who made up the international jury. The representative chosen to represent Israel on the panel of judges, alongside judges from Pakistan, Spain, Colombia, Brazil, Germany, France and more, is Mrs. Adi Lasri – the founder of the ‘World Virtual Museum’, who led the Israeli team of artists.
Adi Lasri founded the ‘World Virtual Museum’ in 2018 in memory of Holocaust survivor Elsa Langer (1933-2018), with the aim of promoting art and artists from around the world and allowing them to be exposed and reach the general public. Today the museum has over 10,000 artists and has accumulated over 21 million views worldwide.

The Israeli team of artists included: Gad Ullman (painter), Prof. Amir Leshem (photographer), Uri Freundlich (photographer), Dr. Yaffe Shabat (sculptor), Arie Lamdan (painter), Orly Ben Shlomo (painter), Simo Paul (painter), Yehudit Yehezkali Galili (multidisciplinary art), Rami Neudorfer (AI), Nabil Nasser Eldin (photographer), Rachel Klein Elazari (painter), Anat Ben Ezra (painter), Rivka Nemer (painter), Dr. Benny Gross (photographer), Amir Gilad (photographer), Eliya Lasri (painter), Sabrina De-Rita (photographer), Hana Barak Engel (painter) and Ya’ala Hudzizan (painter).


The Israeli team brought great honor to the State of Israel and won the Zion Commendation Awards:
In the field of painting, the winners were: Simo Paul, Lamdan Aryeh, Ben Shlomo Orly.
In the field of sculpture, the winner was: Shabbat Yaffa.
In the field of photography, the winners were: Leshem Amir, and Uri Freundlich.
In the field of new media, the winner was: Neudorfer Rami.
The selection of curators was won by: Barak Engel Hana.
Also, Adi Lasri received prize from the National Assembly member and an achievement award from the mayor for her participation in the DMZ competition to design the peace map through art. In addition, Adi received a Certificate of Merit from the Chairman of the Board Kim Haeyeon at Geoge City Future Development Institute.


In a speech delivered by Adi at the event, she stated that “the International Art Festival in Korea is an amazing platform, which serves as an example of joint work between countries, based on mutual respect and understanding between different cultures. By producing exhibitions and other artistic events, a dialogue is created about important issues such as human rights, social justice , environmental sustainability, peace and more”.
10th Geoje International Art Festival – 2024
The 10th annual international festival will begin in November 2024 and will last for about two months across South Korea. The theme of this year’s festival is ‘coexistence through art’. The jury consists of twenty one judges from twenty countries around the world. The chairman of the jury for 2024 is Ms. Heidi Folsei from Norway.
Ms. Adi Lasri will lead the Israeli team for another year, which will include the artists: Nirit Gilad Ovadia, Hedva and Roni Reuven, Lorenzi Ilan, Miller Gila, Zellner Gili, Shahal Yehuda Benasalvas, Lea Dolinsky, Michelle Michaela Zeitouni, Shem Tov Nava, Nirit Gilad Ovadia, Frank Rachel, Ross Shulamith, Gila miller, Shahar Sharon, Even Zohar Aviva, Samurai Boaz, Shapira Orna, Papescu Monika, Simo Paul, Shabat Yaffa, Lamdan Aryeh, Tucker Shynes Rachel, Ben Ezra Anat, De Rita Sabrina, Tamir Natali, Barak Engel Hana, Leshem Amir, Lasri Eliya, Ben Shlomo Orly, Freundlich Uri, Rachel Klein Elazari, Yaleh chodziesen and more.
This year’s jury consists of artists, art historians, museum directors, photographers and sculptors:

The judges are;
Richard Buxani and Norlie Meimban representing the Philippines, Adi Lasri – Israel, Margo
Calderero-Le Lain – France, Nao Morigo – Japan, Daniela Rossi – Argentina, Maria Tiwiq –
Indonesia, Robyn Ross – Australia, Alberto Insa – Spain, Julia König – Italy, Preema Nazia Andaleeb

  • Bangladesh, Andrea Stanic – Croatia, Chris Bleicher – Germany, Cristina L. White Fletcher –
    USA, Cristina Maya Caetano – Portugal, Hamid Tajalifard – Iran, Juhlene Wagner-Möller – South
    Africa, Masood Alam Khan – Pakistan, Rocio Torres Guerrero – Columbia, Samar Kamel – UAE.

  • How did the Geoje International Art Festival begin?
    The exhibition, which began in 2015 with the International Environmental Communication
    Exhibition [The Meeting of the East and the West, Closer to Art 展], began with a collection of
    poems by Japanese poet Taro Aizu, who described his hometown after the Fukushima nuclear
    accident in March 2011. 105 artists inspired by the concept of “Collaboration between Literature
    and Art” based on “Environment” presented a fusion exhibition featuring more than 100 works
    expressed in various genres such as installation art, painting, and video.
    Starting with this, an international exhibition is planned and carried out every year, and after the
    environmental planning exhibition, it is developing into an international exhibition with the theme
    of freedom and peace in conjunction with the purpose of establishing our museum. With the goal of
    enjoying culture and art for local people, it has expanded its meaning by combining it with art every
    year, and it will make art the theme more broadly under the theme of the language of coexistence in
    celebration of its 10th anniversary in 2024.
    Until 2022, the number of annual museum visitors was approximately 15,000 due to the
    coronavirus19 pandemic, but by 2023, the number of annual visitors is approximately 25,000,
    recovering to the pre-corona pandemic level. Before the pandemic, annual visitor numbers were
    over 30,000.
    In 2023, there are cooperative organisations such as Yeosu Art Museum, Jeongeup Seojimal
    Scholarship Association, Art Town Gwangju, Geumboseong Art Center, Ministry of Culture, Sports
    and Tourism, Gyeongsangnam-do, Jeongeup, Gwangju, International Museum Council, Korean
    Museum Association, Korean Private Museum Association, and International Federation of Culture
    and Arts.
    Yeosu City Museum of Art, Jeongeup City, Jeongeup Seojimal Scholarship Association, Jeongeup
    Life Culture Center, Geoje City, South Gyeongsang Province Government, Korea Museum
    Association, Korea Private Museum Association, and the International Federation of Culture and
    Arts all cooperate with Haegeumgang Theme Museum/Yukyung Art Museum.The Theme of this years Art Festival; 10th Geoje International Art Festival is «Language of coexistence, Art.The climax of art is not a destination but a journey»For inquiries for artists on how to participate in this museum exhibition please contact the museum directly athggtm1@gmail.com , heidi.fosli@gmail.com or any of the judges. This is a great opportunity for emergingartists worldwide, and the biggest international museum exhibition in South Korea! Welcome to apply!Website: hggmuseum.com or https://www.facebook.com/hggmuseum