Cultural Code & Flag Works
Cultural Code:
Designing Flags: Seoul x San Francisco Design Workshop 2025
Workshop Planning & Tutors
Daeki Shim x Chris Hamamoto
This workshop is an international collaborative project jointly conducted by students from Seoul National University (SNU) and the California College of the Arts (CCA). Its primary objective is to explore the unique cultural codes of Seoul and San Francisco and to visualize them in the form of symbolic structures—specifically, flags.
Adopting a symbolic and cultural-theoretical perspective, the workshop analyzes the two cities through both material and immaterial dimensions of urban culture, attending to the duality of the visible and the invisible. By reinterpreting each city’s cultural codes into a structured visual language, the workshop aims to render visible the complex affective and experiential layers embedded within the urban fabric.
Participants form interdisciplinary teams that integrate members from both institutions. Together, they analyze the cultural codes and identities of their respective cities through symbolic, typographic, and graphic elements, culminating in the co-creation of a single flag as a unified visual outcome. The project seeks to propose a new relational context between urbanity, culture, and identity—facilitated through visual media—as it fosters dialogue between two cities shaped by differing cultural backgrounds.
The resulting flags will be exhibited at the San Francisco Art Book Fair, the California College of the Arts in the United States, and 019 Ghent in Belgium, offering further platforms for public engagement and cultural exchange.
Guest Critic for the Workshop
Sara Raffo (California College of the Arts)
Workshop Hosts
+ Seoul National University, California College of the Arts, DAEKI and JUN
Flag Works Exhibition
+ Exhibition Planning: Chris Hamamoto
+ Exhibition Period: July 10—13, 2025
+ Exhibition Partner & Venue: MSP Foundation, SF Art Book Fair
+ Host: Seoul National University
Cultural Code Exhibition
+ Exhibition Planning: Daeki Shim
+ Exhibition Period: July—September, 2025 (Two Months)
+ Exhibition Partner & Venue: 019 Ghent
+ Hosts: Seoul National University, California College of the Arts, DAEKI and JUN
Cultural Code Exhibition
+ Exhibition Planning: Chris Hamamoto
+ Exhibition Period: TBA
+ Exhibition Partner & Venue: California College of the Arts
Tomato Compund Butter
Tomarrow
– Tomato Compound Butter
Tomato Jam & Tomato Sauce
Tomarrow
– Tomato Dipping Sauce
– Spicy Tomato Jam
TomaHope Branding. BI
Tomarrow
– TomaHope (Ale. Beer)
Tomarrow Magnet
Tomarrow
– Magnet Set & Magnetic Board
Heirloom Tomato Seedling Kit
Tomarrow
– Heirloom Tomato Seedling Kit
Tomarrow Brand Introduction
Tomarrow
– Brand Introduction. Brand Book
Tomarrow Branding. BI
Tomarrow
– Branding. Brand Identity. BI
Gangwon State Branding. CI
GANGWON STATE CI Gangwon Province → GANGWON STATE.
In 2023, the Corporate Identity (CI) of GANGWON STATE was newly designed. The identity represents the direction of a growing industrial city moving towards the future with arrows. Simultaneously, we incorporated the letter ‘ㄱ’ (giyeok), the first letter of the Korean alphabet, Hangeul.
The graphic concept of GANGWON STATE CI is ‘Growth,’ representing the proactive, dynamic, and enterprising attitude of moving forward. Additionally, the graphic motif of GANGWON STATE CI is ‘ㄱ (giyeok),’ which is the first letter of the Korean alphabet, Hangeul. It emphasizes that GANGWON STATE is a region of Korea that is proud of its history and tradition, and also signifies a positive future for the country that begins here.
Gangwon’s identity has changed after 27 years, and the new one clearly shows where it is headed.
Gangwon State Council Branding. CI
The CI of Gangwon State Council is designed as a speech bubble that opens the door to communication, serving as an important connection point between the residents and the council where opinions are exchanged. It expresses the value of the council by incorporating the meanings of each color to spread its significance widely.