The Korea Foundation Cultural Center has shifted its focus from “space” to “time” for this year’s regular lecture series, which seeks to introduce the world’s diverse cultures to audiences in Korea. Previous lecture topics mostly concerned geographical or cultural spaces, such as Islamic culture and the Silk Road. However, the Renaissance era, one of the most significant periods in the history of human civilization, has been selected as the subject for the latest program.Historical developments following the Middle Ages, which revolved around God and religion in Europe, opened the door to modernity by placing human beings at the forefront. Jang Moon-seok, history professor at Yeungnam University, delivered a lecture on “What is the Renaissance” on May 19 to kick off the two-month lecture series titled “Renaissance Story.” Professor Jang shared his thoughts in an interview prior to his lecture.

Why have you been selected as the first speaker of the “Renaissance Story” lecture series?

My book on the birth of modern thought was published in August last year. It deals with the life and work of artists who were active in Italy in the 14th to 16th centuries, like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. The book also describes the development of free and diverse thinking and academic advancement that occurred during the period. It seems that the Foundation found my book to be related with this year’s theme. So, they asked me to give a lecture on the historical significance and developments of the Renaissance.

Did you major in the history of the Renaissance?

No. I studied at the University of Turin in Italy, and still visit the country once or twice every year to gather reference material. I was initially interested in contemporary history, and my major was the history of economics focused on corporate history. I earned my Ph.D. degree from SeoulNationalUniversity in 2005, with a dissertation entitled “Big business and the state in Italy: the case of Fiat, 1918-1943.” Then, I developed an interest in the history of intelligence and ideology, such as nationalism and fascism. I naturally came to study the Renaissance. I might say I’m having a kind of academic diversion. (laughter)

How do you estimate the present status of research on the Renaissance in Korea?

As far as I know, there are professional researchers who specialize in the literature, arts and architecture of the period. But, few scholars have studied its history, largely due to the unfavorable research environment in Korea, where the access to historical resources is very limited. As a result, there have been few remarkable achievements at home in the historical study of the Renaissance. There isn’t even an academic society devoted to the subject.

What would you say is the significance of the Renaissance to the Korean people today?

The essence of the Renaissance is humanism, or human-centered thinking. Owing to the advancement of high-tech devices and new media, today’s society is overflowing with abundant entertainment options but there still remains “the thirst for culture.” In this context, it is worth knowing about this period of refined and elegant cultural flowering in Western history.

What is your view of this lecture series?

As overseas travel has become more common, we have grown quite familiar with the exotic sights and scenes of foreign countries. But most people generally lack a proper understanding of the history and culture of other nations. Therefore, these lectures provide a rare opportunity for the general public to fill the void of their knowledge, especially for those who are curious about the high culture of the West. The lectures are not exactly academic, but it won’t be easy to meet scholars with such a level of expertise at a time.

Do you have many opportunities to present a lecture like this to the general public?

I have such opportunities more often than you might assume. This means that there certainly is a demand for this kind of cultural activities in our society. Recently, I gave a lecture on the Renaissance at a department store in Daegu, where I received a better-than-expected response from the audience. In the academic circles, everyone talks about the crisis of the humanities. But I can feel there is a growing demand for the humanities, including literature, from the general public.

Professor Jang’s assessment soon proved to be correct. The organizers of the lecture series originally planned to accept about 70 people per session, but had to increase the number to 90 amid a burst of interest. In fact, each lecture session had additional attendees who arrived without prior registration.

Could you give us a very brief overview of your lecture?

Broadly speaking, I am going to discuss three major points to help my audience get a comprehensive insight into the Renaissance. First, the lecture I will examine why the cultural movement occurred in Italy, with a focus on the development of the city state, commerce, and civil society. I will then introduce the works and life of Italian artists, before proceeding to explain the human-centered thinking of Renaissance humanists.

Lastly, please recommend some good books about the Renaissance.

I would like to recommend Jacob Burckhardt’s “The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy.” Amodel for the discourse of cultural history, this book offers a substantial summary of the period’s history and has received very favorable reviews from the academia.

Professor Jang noted that he was eager to study history from his early years. When he had to select a major for his university degree, he briefly had difficulty deciding between Korean history, Asian history, and Western history. But, he ended up majoring in Western History as he expected there might be more to learn from the history of advanced countries. While he finds it difficult to research the history of Italy’s economic development in Korea, Jang hopes to expand the scope of his study to eventually include the country’s cultural history as well.

Starting with Professor Jang’s opening lecture, the nine-part lecture series delve into a variety of subjects related to the Renaissance, including fine arts and music, until July 10. The weekly lecture sessions are held at the seminar room of the Korea Foundation Cultural Center in Suha-dong, central Seoul.

Kim Sung-hee, Columnist