Society. Spaces. Screens

Abstract

This paper examines the evolving role of spectacle at the Walkerhill Hotels & Resorts (WHR) in Seoul, South Korea, focusing on its exhibition space, the Théâtre des Lumières. Tracing the transformation from the original Walkerhill Theater, which opened in 1963, to its current reshaping as an immersive media art venue, the paper analyzes the interplay between past and present spectacles as mediated through the venue’s screen surfaces. By investigating the continuities and discontinuities in terms of exhibition contents and theatrical spaces, the paper explores the processes and actors involved in constructing WHR’s spectacle over time. Through this study, the paper reveals how the WHR engages in a politics of urban spectacle within Korea’s modernization narrative. It argues that the strategic use of media projections and physical space in the Théâtre des Lumières selectively amplifies or obscures specific sociopolitical and technocultural contexts. The analysis of retrospective images and exhibition themes articulated by the spectacle of the WHR reflects broader tensions in representing Korea’s complex modernization history. Through this case study, the paper contributes to discussions on the relation between architectural spaces and screen surfaces shaping urban imaginaries and political narratives in the rapidly developing Korea’s historical contexts.