Week 14: Closing the Curtain — Finalizing Unseen Curtain

This week marks the final stage of Unseen Curtain. After months of research, interviews, photography, podcast production, and reflection, the project has finally reached its conclusion. Looking back, it is difficult to believe how much the project has evolved from its initial idea into a body of work that combines conversations, visual storytelling, and personal exploration.

A major focus this week was completing the final production work. I finished the post-production process for Episode 04 with Francis Cowan, which explored the role of emerging artists, opera education, and the ways in which initiatives such as the Lunchtime Recital Series help bring classical arts closer to everyday audiences. Alongside this episode, I also recorded a special Personal Reflection episode to conclude the first season of Unseen Curtain. Unlike the previous interviews, this episode allowed me to step back and reflect on the motivations behind the project, the challenges encountered throughout the process, and the people who helped make it possible.

Perhaps the most surprising outcome of this project is that it no longer feels like a university assignment. What began as a student creative project exclusively for one semester has gradually developed into something much more meaningful to me. Throughout the production process, I found myself increasingly invested in the conversations, the people I met, and the questions that originally inspired the project. I have a strong feeling that Unseen Curtain will not end here. Although I do not yet know what shape it may take in the future, I can imagine myself continuing to develop it beyond the classroom and returning to it as a long-term creative practice.

At the same time, I have been refining the final photobook to the presentable stage. Throughout this process, I continued returning to one of the project’s central concerns: how can photography capture what will be left when no more artistic expression on stage and no audience in seats? The final selection of images attempts to preserve moments of silence, absence, and reflection that exist beyond performance itself.

As this project comes to a close, I feel grateful for every conversation, photograph, challenge, and unexpected encounter that shaped its development. More importantly, the project has reinforced my belief that classical arts continue to hold significance within contemporary society, and that digital media can provide new pathways for these voices to be heard. While this may be the end of Unseen Curtain as a course project, I hope it is only where its story begins.

For now, the curtain closes. Thank you for following this journey.

References:

1. Kang, B. (2026). Unseen Curtain — Episode 04: Conversations with Francis Cowan [Audio podcast episode]. In Unseen Curtain Podcast. Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/episode/7uwCfYZIsxOdR0cKmDASlI

2. Kang, B. (2026). Unseen Curtain — Episode 05: Season Finale [Audio podcast episode]. In Unseen Curtain Podcast. Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/episode/7pwMW3DfvUCFOOBPC2W1bB