Our university’s teaching staff encourages new business that integrates art with medicine which has not existed before. These professors announced: “See if the art meets medicine world creates a synergy effect.” They are Professor Hye-kyong Lee, Prof. Yu-sun Jo, and Prof. Hye-ri Ahn. The professors have been busy collecting data and casting medical personnel and artists since they launched the Arts & Medicine Convergence Research Center at Kookmin University in March, 2012.

The motto of the Arts & Medicine Convergence Research Center is: Win-win collaboration with human art and medicine; creative convergence with human art and medicine, and integrated action with human art and medicine.

Particularly, they emphasize ‘communication, sympathy, convergence’, and making related study and education based on the common denominator between art and medicine.

Prof. Hye-kyong Lee is the head of this center, and Profs. Jo and Ahn participate as members. They are not reluctant to give up their position, and run the center with the ‘art is cooperation’ mentality.

Professor Lee said, “We launched the center seeking for solutions for art to contribute to society and we focused on convergence which is the newest trend.” She also emphasized,

“The ultimate goal is that art, medical treatment and humanities will have a thread of connection.”

They believe the common link between art and medicine is to save people. Medicine cures physical pain and disease while art eases a persons’ psychological wound and sadness.

Professor Hyeri-Ahn said, “As we know that Leonardo da Vinci studied anatomy, there was close correlation between art and medicine in ancient times. However, art and science have been divided in the modern age so they have distance from one another. The most needed thing is communication in the medical office as medical devices and medical practices develop themselves.”

It is clear-cut that the three professors see the realities of the medical world. These days, interest in humanities is picking up in the medical world. Also, most medical teams face the hard world because of excessive consultation hours.

Professor Yu-sun Jo explained, “I realized that the convergence with art was needed in the domestic medical world after I experienced medicine-humanities in the UK.

Art is the medium that fills what sympathy and communication lack.” The thing they pursue is totally different from ‘Arts therapy’. People who hear the center’s operation plan at first wonder if they can cure patients using art.

“Hope to Enrich Tough Medical Environment Through Art”

Professor Hye-kyong Lee said, “The physical cure is only part of medicine. Art can help to enrich the tough medical environment, giving doctors, nurses and patients a mental richness and satisfaction.”

Therefore, the ultimate goal of the Arts & Medicine Convergence Research Center is to make the medical system not only give technical treatment, but also a mental cure for the mind respecting every patient.

For this, the center is collecting related data, building a database and providing a theoretical basis which is required for education. Also, they are developing the art program for the medical industry, and devote themselves to creating a medical community through art.

“Contribute to Build a Medical System Through Academic Convergence”

Professor Jo said, “The public wants to feel their psychological stability not only to get better physically like in a soap opera such as Daejanggeum, where Huh-jun, and Ma-eui were popular. We will contribute to build a human medical system through academic convergence (art, design, humanities, medical science) and culture practice (research, education, practice).

Professors acknowledged many famous hospitals invest in running an art gallery and holding regular concerts, but there are some shortages in details.

Professor Lee emphasized, “For example, there are some pictures hanging on the wall which have no correlation for both hospital and patients. Art is not just accessories. This is the time to think why the communion between doctor and patient is so important.”

Starting with the 1st ‘Art + Medicine Convergence Space and Practice’ in December, last year, the center will be actively based on groundwork. The Korean Association for the Philosophy of Medicine and other 10 cooperative organizations with artists will join the center’s movement.

Professor Lee said, “The fact that Kookmin University does not have a college of medicine means we are able to work together with all medical colleges. We are going to let people know the synergy effect of the convergence between art and medicine, and spread our move to England, the United States, and other powers.”