https://www.wesa.kr/news/call-for-artists/wesa-festival-2026-untamed-sound

This post focuses on the third and final case: the WeSA Festival.

WeSA is an organization that supports innovative, media-based art across a wide range of disciplines. Its scope includes audiovisual works, experimental music, sound art, and most forms of sound-based practices. Since launching its experimental music festival in 2014, WeSA has expanded its activities to include artist residencies and publications such as records and books, supporting artists through multiple formats.

The theme of the 2026 WeSA Festival is Untamed Sound. It broadly emphasizes approaches that break away from conventional frameworks, welcoming any form of performance that aligns with this idea. The application requires three components, all to be submitted as a single PDF file:

• Artist Introduction: name, brief introduction, and email address
• Introduction of the Submitted Work: title, description, and presentation plan
• Review Materials: links to audio or video materials (e.g., SoundCloud, YouTube, Vimeo) for evaluation (minimum 5 minutes)

The WeSA Festival can be understood as a performance opportunity offered to artists. While the previous two pathways were more closely related to education and exhibition contexts, this festival provides a platform to present work to a broader audience and gain visibility. For someone like myself who intends to work in Korea, where the market is relatively small, such opportunities are particularly important.

Although I will not be applying this time due to my plans to move to the Netherlands, I see WeSA as an excellent starting point when I return to Korea. Preparing for this, it would be valuable not only to develop technology-based installations but also to explore performative formats. During my studies in the Netherlands, I should therefore consider a wider range of approaches that extend beyond exhibition formats into performance-based practices.