In the midst of burnout, financial strain, and racialized precarity, what does Korean pop culture make possible? How do songs and dramas on repeat get us through the week? How do everyday fan practices—group chats, viewing parties, dance covers, fan art—help us build community and imagine life otherwise?

Join us for an evening of conversation and collective making as we explore how Korean pop culture, and the broader histories that have shaped it, can cultivate and sustain diverse social worlds. Bringing together scholars, artists, writers, and fans, the event examines depictions of struggle and resistance in Korean pop culture, how audiences live out these themes in their everyday lives, and how digital archives can preserve or extend their force.

Prepare for An Interactive Moment

Attendees will be invited to reflect on their own engagements with Korean pop culture by creating and archiving artifacts of personal fan practice. All are welcome (but not required) to bring in an existing artifact to work with during this lab portion of the event. Examples of artifacts may include: screenshots, playlists, ticket stubs, handwritten notes, lyrics, and other traces of everyday engagement.

Admission Information

This event is free and open to all members of the public! Please RSVP using the form below.

Dinner and refreshments will be provided. 

This event is organized in conjunction with the forthcoming release of issue 003 of MENT Magazine. It is co-sponsored by Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies and the Center for Korean Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, and by Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Dartmouth College.

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