White Stork Nest is a studio for cultural and artistic activities located in Banghak-dong, Dobong-gu which is at the northern perimeter of Seoul. It serves as the culture, arts and social hub for the community connecting resources and people in a web of relationships. At present, three artists live in the area and engage with the neighborhood’s residents and young activists in creative arts and culture projects. They are experimenting with having artists become a part of the local community to foster cultural developments and nurture new relationships through creative activities. Banghak-dong is an area where there is a concentration of micro-scale factories for manufacturing socks. The White Stork Nest team noted the large bundles of cloth that is sheared from each sock before the toe is sewn closed and thrown away as scraps. They have developed an upcycling method of weaving the discarded fabric together to use as material for arts and crafts. This has evolved into a uniquely local culture and art initiative, and serves, furthermore, as an invigorating catalyst of life in the community. White Stork Nest now continues to hold workshops to explore the opportunity that the sock upcycling project presents.
