 Welcome to Downtown Variety's Soul Arts Korea Edition, presented by LaMama, Culture Hub, and the Soul Institute of the Arts. I am your host, Maddie Barbara Backelman, at my home in Brooklyn, New York, where it is 9 p.m. And I am joined by Scarlett Kim, who is the Programs and Projects Manager at Culture Hub LA, and she is at her home in Los Angeles, where it is 6 p.m. We will be joined by artists in Seoul, Korea, where it is tomorrow, Saturday morning, 10 a.m. Scarlett will help translate between English and Korean tonight. Welcome to the Downtown Variety's Soul Arts Korea Edition, where LaMama, Culture Hub, and the Soul Institute of the Arts are focusing on. This is Maddie Barbara Backelman, the host and host of the Downtown Variety. Maddie is at her home in Brooklyn, New York, where it is 9 p.m. Hello. I am Scarlett Kim, the Programs and Projects Manager at Culture Hub LA. I am joined by Los Angeles, where it is 6 p.m. I am joined by Maddie Barbara Backelman, who is at her home in Brooklyn, New York, where it is 10 p.m. We will be joined by English and Korean for the Korean audience and the participants. So this is the 19th edition of Downtown Variety, a show that we've been producing for just over one year now in response to the pandemic. And in 2021, Downtown Variety has gone overseas. And this is a very special edition, because in a way, it feels like we're coming home. Culture Hub and this programming exists because of the visionary leadership at LaMama and Soul Arts with Ellen Stewart and Yu Duck-young, two pioneers who shared a one-world vision that we are all interconnected on this earth and that theater can be a radically inclusive and expansive platform that breaks down boundaries and crosses borders. This is the 19th edition of Downtown Variety. Downtown Variety is an online performance series that has been on air for just over a year since the pandemic happened. In 2021, Downtown Variety has expanded its boundaries and has started to show all three artists. This edition is more than anything special. It means we're coming back home. Culture Hub and the main program are the two cultural artists, the founder of LaMama Research and Development, Ellen Stewart and Yu Duck-young, the head of the Seoul Arts University, and the leading leadership. In terms of quality and art, they have shared a vision to create a new type of cultural cooperation that has expanded the area of cooperation and have established Culture Hub. We are so thrilled to bring the immense talents of the students, faculty, and community at Seoul Arts to You, and this community continues to make a profound impact on film, TV, and performance. And all of the work that you are going to see tonight was created in the pandemic. So let us welcome our collaborators at the Seoul Institute of the Arts live in Korea with Cecilie Kwan. In that sense, I think it is very meaningful to be able to show the works of the Seoul Art Institute that has a great influence on the culture and art of Korea. And I think that all the works you are going to see today were created during the pandemic and have a special meaning. Now let's meet the Seoul Institute team. I would like to introduce Professor Kwan. Professor Kwan, hello. Hey, Cecilie. Hi, thank you, Maddie, and thank you, Scarlett. Thank you. Hello to everyone around the world. Hello to all of you who are visiting the world. I sincerely hope that you are well during this time of the pandemic. I sincerely hope that you are healthy during this difficult time. As you can see, I'll be translating myself for our Korean audience. We are coming to you live from Korea at Seoul Institute of the Arts, who is the co-founder of Culture Hub together with La Mama Experimental Theater thanks to Dr. Kyung Yoo and Ellen Stewart. We are currently hosting live broadcasts at Seoul Arts University. Seoul Arts University was founded by Dr. Kyung Yoo and Ellen Stewart, the co-founder of La Mama Experimental Theater, who established Culture Hub. Seoul Institute of the Arts is a prominent arts conservatory in Korea that has produced many artists who are leading the Korean wave today. Seoul Arts University is a leading arts conservatory, and today, we have hosted many leaders in Korea. My name is Kwon Se-sil. Seoul Arts University is in charge of International Relations and Culture Hub. My name is Cecily Kwon, and I'm in charge of International Relations and Culture Hub activities. We are very honored today and excited to show you the recent works created here at Seoul Institute of the Arts, despite the difficulties of the pandemic. We are very happy to show you the recent works created in this difficult pandemic era. So, let us welcome our first performer, Anna Kang and her quintet. Anna! I'm flying with the smoke Anna Kang, thank you, Anna Kang, thank you, thank you, thank you Thank you So we have Anna here joining us now. Introduce us. Yes, introduce us to your musicians Hello, I'm really honored to be here today. Park Sun-hee, who joined us as a vocalist today, and the saxophonist Lee Sam-soo, and the drummer Moon Ki-deok, and the bassist Jeon Han-guk. Thank you Perhaps because you know their names Ah, right, so vocalist for Sun-hee Park. Can you show us? Yes, vocalist and saxophonist for Lee Sam-soo Lee, and the drummer is Ki-deok Moon, and the bassist, amazing bassist Jeon Han-guk So good, and it's so good to hear live music I'm so happy to hear live music with Kang Thank you, I'm so happy too I heard this song is called Se-ya Se-ya, Se-ya Se-ya, Se-ya Se-ya in Korean Is there a special reason why you chose this song? Yes, this song was taught by the culture of African music in 2017 I thought it would be good to combine Korean traditional music with blue birds So it's meaningful for me to play in this culture concert I want to express my gratitude to the people who have worked hard to make this song possible Because the song is called blue birds It was sung a lot by people in Southeast Asian countries I thought this song would be good for many people So I prepared this concert There's lots of movements and initiatives around the world right now That's trying to fight discrimination, trying to fight for human rights and against inequity And this piece intends to kind of thank the movements that are happening And also because this song was very widely sung during the Tonghap Pesant Revolution Which is a very important milestone, very important rebellion movement in Korean history It was very widely sung during that time So I hope that by invoking this song at this time that it can be healing A source of healing for audiences worldwide Yes, Ana, it's so deeply needed And I can't wait to be able to hear music with people around me in the future, I hope It was an honor to share the necessary works with you And I hope to see you live in the future But it's good Looking forward to it And some folks might remember Ana's performance in Downtown Variety in July And so this is our second time collaborating with Ana Kang in this pandemic So it's just a totally unique experience to be able to work with you this way And with all of your musicians there in Seoul It was an honor to be able to collaborate with you for the second time And it was such a fun experience I hope we can continue to work together online and offline To be able to learn about Downtown Variety And get ready for the next time Thank you I look forward to a time where we can collaborate online and offline And experiment together and create performance together in the near future Thank you Ana Another round to your musicians Thank you Thank you Okay, so Next up, we have Homesweet Home A cross compilation video by Square Dream Featuring movements of young people living in Korea during the pandemic Sharing their interior spaces of their homes Revealing both anxiety and relief Next up, we have my own home by Square Dream This is a work about moving young people living in the pandemic And sharing their interior spaces of their homes And sharing their interior spaces of their homes And sharing their interior spaces of their homes And sharing their interior spaces of their homes It's raining and the laundry isn't dry The air in the house isn't comfortable My room is the best in my house Does this house belong to me? One day, my body is frozen And there's even a big furniture inside I came back home But the area on the floor I see is very empty A day when empty spaces become empty A day when a house that makes me feel cozy And a moment when my body is set free A day when my family's schedule has to start again A day when I have to lie down on the bed to think A day when I have to dry my dishes Empty habits make me feel safe Giving this small room to clean is easy So I treat this room as a clean toilet However, with such clean stitches, it doesn't seem like LAUGHTER My bed is a body that's being removed Al Pronation for working overtime Positioned clothes and lying down 이 순간부터 오랜 시간 앉아 있을 책상을 치운다 하지만 그런 청소로는 깨끗해진 기분이 들지 않는다 음색 더러워 보인다 집은 또 더러워지고 집은 금색 꽉 차게 된다 나는 또다시 지친 몸으로 집을 치운다 하지만 그런 청소로는 깨끗해진 기분이 들지 않는다 나는 라면이 싫다 나는 간신히 채워도 어딘가 허전하다 라면의 흔적은 방안을 가득 매운다 라면은 좀처럼 내 방을 나가지 않는다 너무 많은 밥을 짓고 난다 전자렌지로 데운 냉동밥 밥은 따뜻해지지만 여전히 차가운 느낌 혼자 감당할 수 없는 1인 메뉴는 석을 포다 불원한 공간에서 가장 확실한 행복을 찾고 싶다 석을 품 행복이 될지라도 좁은 집은 더 좁아질 테지만 물리적인 공간의 크기는 그리 중요하지 않다 내 집은 누굴 부르기에 부족하다 내가 좋아하는 이 공간에 누군가와 함께한다는 사실이 중요하다 누군가와 함께한다는 사실이 중요하다 누군가와 함께한다는 사실이 중요하다 누군가와 함께한다는 사실이 중요하다 일할 곳은 없어도 잠을 잘 곳은 있어야 한다는 것 마음 편의실 곳이 없다는 것 있다 하더라도 그게 내 것일 수 있냐는 질문 나의 경제력에 부합하는 집이 없다는 것 서울에 살기에는 내가 가난하다는 것 사회는 너무 거대하고 나는 너무 작다는 것 나의 노력은 나의 피땀 눈물은 미미한 무언가 밖에 되지 않는다는 것 타협하고 포기하는 게 언제부터 몸에 배워버리게 되었는지 왜 세상에는 나 같은 사람들이 넘쳐나는지 이 좁은 집에 이 넓은 세상에 너무 커다랏고 까마득한 것이 들어와 버렸다 그렇다고 대충 넘기며 포기하는 순간 내 공간에 들어온 커다란 이것은 그저 방해물이 될 뿐이다 내가 여유로울 수 있는 건 나의 능력이 아니다 어쩌면 운이 좋은 걸 수도 있다 그 고민들은 끊임없이 부풀어지고 무거워지고 작은 나는 더 작아진다 자, 책 피우고 이제 시작합시다 자, 오늘은 시차에 대해석을 배워볼 거예요 야, 야, 책 좀 피우고 집중 좀 하자, 어? 이거 시음이 나온다 너희 지금 시간이 몇 시야? 4시 35분 전이요 그치? 근데 시차가 재미있는 게 뭔지 알아? 우리 동쪽에 있는 나라들은 벌써 4시가 됐고 서쪽은 우리보다 더 늦게 4시 종이 칠 거야 왜냐, 시차가 적용되기 때문이야 뭐라고? 잠깐만, 그럼 계산을 한번 해보자 시차가 있다 시간 차이가 좋다 서쪽은 더 느리다 그럼 먼저, 먼저, 먼저, 그러면 시간을 멈춰서 안 읽을 수 있다는 거잖아 So that was a long time difference It's a concept that has been very near and dear to my heart this past week because we've been in rehearsals from 8 to 11pm here in New York working with Korea where it's the next day, morning So I think we have Min-Hyung Jung joining us who's the creator of everything you saw along the time difference Hi Hi Hello Oh my gosh So can you just tell us a little bit about the time difference that you've been working with Oh my gosh So can you just tell us a little bit about the inspiration for this story in this piece? I love starting projects I love starting projects, imagining ideas for projects from the very idiosyncratic imaginative And the concept of time difference really spoke to me, and I was able to connect that with this age old question of human obsession with immortality, eternal life. So theoretically, if we run at exactly the speed across to Earth at the exact speed that the Earth is spinning, we would be able to cheat time and find kind of a space for non-time, find a static kind of non-time for a moment. So for me, this project was carving out that time in which time is static. So good. I feel like the lead character for a new cartoon has just been born. And you are a multi-talented artist. You created everything that we saw, right? You did the music, the script, the animation, including the 2D and 3D styles. So amazing work. And also, how did you work between all of these disciplines to create a piece? What was the reason for your collaboration with all of these disciplines? Please tell us a little bit about the process. First of all, the biggest reason was that it was a school assignment, so I had to work hard on it. Second reason is that I think there is a little bit of a special time that goes faster or slower than the time in the world. But I think it was a time for all of us, so I wanted to use a lot of resources to express that time. And I wanted to melt that in the lyrics of the song. Because I thought it would be nice if it could be delivered as easily as possible. So I wanted to deliver it as easily as possible, so I think I made the decision to use various fields together. The biggest momentum and impetus behind it was that it was homework for school, so I had to make it, so that drove me forward. Second reason is that I believe that there is a kind of special time outside of the objective time that we all agree upon. A special time that runs a little slower or faster than this objective time that we all experienced, that everyone experiences. And in order to express that personal subjective time, I felt that it was important to activate all kinds of dimensions to tell that story and to reflect that message, that concept in the lyrics to express it in the most accessible way possible. So that's how I came to make the decision to activate so many tools. So good. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Thank you. Okay. So next, we have a live performance by Philip Liew, Many World Reverb. Next, we have a live performance by LiewPillip. Okay, Philip. Hi. Hey. Thank you so much for that performance, Philip, and for the folks at home as a little touch and go for us the past couple days, but we pulled it through at the last minute, which is always the thing with technology-infused pieces. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah, in the context of audio visual performances, often one artist is overseeing both components. So there's often glitches and technical difficulties. So gracefully navigating that is a kind of know-how. Yeah, exactly. And the glitch becomes part of the art form. So can you just walk us through your process and how you create this piece, how you create the visuals and the sound in this performance? Yeah. First off, I was really intrigued by the kind of piles of pipes in Woollado, which is a neighborhood in Korea. Some of them are tubular, some of them are rectangular. I was really interested by the geometric properties of them. So I just kind of started capturing images. There is no actual depth in the screen, but activating a virtual Z-axis through optical illusion, I created a kind of sense of three-dimensionality that isn't actually there. Yes, and the repeating shapes and the structures, the movement. So those parameters were applied both to the sound and the visuals simultaneously in the piece. And where does the audio come from? That's just sounds that you make and then sort of mix on that MIDI controller? Yeah, I created all the sounds and during the live performance, through the algorithmic parameters, they control the sound. I created all the sounds and during the live performance, through the algorithmic parameters, they control the sound and how it's expressed. And you are a faculty member at Soul Arts. So how is your artistic practice informed by your teaching practice and vice versa? Yes, recently, at Soul Arts University, I didn't have a major in electronic music, but I started to learn audio-visual a little bit. I recently started teaching an electronic music major implementing the kind of audio-visual performance practice curriculum and the mapping methodologies and the various kind of experiments I'm doing here. I'm planning on using those as examples in the courses. Great. Phillip, thank you so much. Thank you so much. So, next, we have Desire and Desire, a dance film of a woman quarantined in her house during the pandemic, expressing her inner self confronting her desires. That was Data Life. And now, we are joined by Yoon Seung Do, one of the artists from the Data Life team. Hello. Hello. So, can you tell us just a little bit about the experience of creating this piece and what inspired you and your team to use AR? Yes, we used AR technology. What was the reason for creating this piece and what was the experience? Yes. The reason why we created this piece is because it is a data that cannot be compared to the actual reality of the pandemic. So, the virtual reality of the pandemic is the most appropriate for us. Let me tell you a little bit about the process of creating this piece. First of all, we developed the process of creating this piece in a situation that cannot be compared to the actual reality of the pandemic. And in that process, we worked on it in the least possible way. There was one particular difficulty. As you can see in the video, there is a motionless part of the piece. When we launched the motionless part of the piece, we were able to find the motionless part of the piece when we saw each other face-to-face. But when we faced each other face-to-face, it was very difficult to find the motionless part of the piece. First of all, we expressed this through AR because this kind of virtual existence feels most truthful to our current life during the pandemic era. In this pandemic life, we live in where everything feels so virtual and so disembodied. For the process, we collaborated mostly remotely with very little time working together in the same room, in person together. So a lot of what we found challenging was developing the movement and the gestures mostly through remote connection. Specifically, finding the kind of nuanced textures and the language of the movement through virtual collaboration was the biggest challenge. Yeah, very relatable. As a dancer, you're just working remotely, but working with AR, do you feel like the technologies can actually capture our human spirit or that you can bring humanity into the technologies? Yeah, as a dancer, do you feel like the new technologies can actually capture our human spirit or that you can bring humanity into the technologies? Well, I think that humanity can feel humanity when we face each other in the same space and time. Even so, I think that we can reflect on our humanity and the emotional part of the technology that controls the space. And I think that we can find new emotions and humanity in the process of reflecting on that. For me, humanity is most felt through sharing time and space, but despite that manipulating the time and space through AR, we were able to still reflect that kind of essence of humanity or emotionality. And especially in that process, we were able to excavate a new kind of humanity. Yeah, when I first saw one of those dancers just on a table or a dancer going into a hand sanitizer, it touched something new for me. Yeah, when I first saw one of those dancers just on a table or a dancer going into a hand sanitizer, it touched something new for me. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Okay, thank you Yoon-sang for this beautiful work and your whole team, the whole data life team. So finally, our last performance of the night, this is notice, a performance about the pain of victims, secondary trauma, and healing. Thank you so much for sharing that energy. It feels good to feel your energy all the way across the globe. Yes, microphones. Okay, wow. So in this piece, you all were exploring trauma and healing. How did these things inform your choreography? Yes, in this piece, you talked about the trauma and healing of the victims. Can you tell us how you expressed these things through choreography? In Ilmak, we made music through click or keyboard sounds. And then we used minimalism and dance technique to emphasize the mental pain of the victims. Yes, in Ilmak, we touched each other and connected each other. Through the choreography of contact, the victims are not alone. They are connected and connected together. In Act One, we used a lot of clicking sounds, keyboard sounds, sound effects, electronic sounds, and to that set that to minimalistic choreography to really emphasize the mental pain and agony that the victims are undergoing. In Act Two, the choreography was really centered around the act of touching each other, making contact, intimate choreography. This points to the fact that the victims are not alone, that they are interconnected and they can empower one another and that we all stand in solidarity. Yes, and what does it feel like for yourselves as performers, as dancers, to embody these themes and the story in the performance? Especially like I'm curious when you're performing to an audience that isn't there but is distributed all around the globe. Yes, how did you feel about the physical experience of performing the themes you mentioned earlier? When you're performing, you're not just standing in front of the audience. The audience all over the world is watching you. How do you feel about the experience of performing on stage and performing on an online audience all over the world? First of all, it was a great honor for us to be able to perform on a stage where we performed on stage. While preparing for the stage, I kept thinking about the pain the victims were going through and I was able to find a lot of difficulties, but despite that, I thought that I had to let the victims know that I had the right to do so, and I would like to say thank you to the audience who watched the performance. We're so honored to have the opportunity to present this work. We really thought a lot and immersed ourselves in the pain that the victims experienced throughout the process, which was challenging at times, but we were committed to raising awareness about the rights that the victims have by presenting this performance. And thank you to everyone for supporting us as we put together this performance. Yes, thank you so much. Thank you. Okay, that is our show. So thank you for joining us. It has been such a joy to work with the talented artists and technologists at Soul Arts. This international collaboration is steeped in decades of cross-cultural artistic exchange, and to be able to continue to work together and develop our creative process in the pandemic amid so much loss and restrictions is deeply moving and inspiring. Thank you. Yes, this has been the Korea Edition of the Downtown Barriot Seoul Art School. Thank you so much for joining us. It was a pleasure and an honor to be able to work with the amazing Seoul Art School team through this performance. The Downtown Barriot Seoul Art School Edition is a special collaboration thanks to the long-term cultural and artistic exchange. In particular, despite all the hardships and difficulties during the pandemic, it has been so special to be able to work together. I'm sure many of you have been touched by this. Next month, Downtown Barriot is going to Kenya with our colleagues at Bold Theater, which is so thrilling, and I hope to see you in April. It is always a pleasure to be your host and to get a front row seat to all of this art making. I want to thank Scarlett Kim for all of the translating. Thank you. And I want to shout out our tech team, Deandra Anthony, Jang Garcia, and Sangmin Choi. Sangmin is a graduate of Seoul Arts who came to Culture Hub New York on an internship and is now our creative technologist, so it is very meaningful to have him steering the ship now. I will send it over to Cecily and Seoul Arts to take us out. Next month, Downtown Barriot is going to Kenya. Our partner at Kenya, Bold Theater, is going to work with us, so I hope to see you in April at Downtown Barriot. I am so happy to be your host today. And I want to thank Scarlett Kim for all of the translating. And I want to thank our tech team, Deandra, Jang Garcia, and Sangmin Choi. Sangmin Choi is a graduate of Seoul Arts who came to Culture Hub New York on an internship and is now our creative technologist, so it is very meaningful to have him steering the ship now. Thank you. And now, I will hand it over to Cecily and Seoul Arts to take us out. Thank you Scarlett. That was such a wonderful performance and very inspiring. I would like to thank all the viewers and the creators and the performers. And here we have our crew and the technicians. Please, can you camera show them? Yes. Thank you so much to our technicians and the crew behind the scenes. And we have our performers and creators. Please come forward. Thank you so much. And I'd like to thank especially Mia Yu from La Mama Experimental Theatre and her team. And also Billy Clark and Iris Yu Jin Chung from Culture Hub LA in New York. And our special thanks also go to Woody Park, Woody at Seoul Arts. And I would like to say just one more word. And that is that it has been really so meaningful to us. Thank you so much for coming to see us. Thank you. Thank you. And we have our panelists. meaningful to us during this time of pandemic when all performances and art events are being cancelled and we can't even meet our family or friends easily in the same country and to have this opportunity to perform for the world the works that have been created during this time and having to wade through all the difficulties and dangers of the war on the virus that we are in. I was so touched to watch them perform. They have given us a big gift of hope. I would like to say one last thing. During this time of pandemic, all the performances and art events are being cancelled. We are facing the world stage and despite the difficulties of the pandemic, they have given us a big gift of hope. That was live from Seoul Institute of the Arts. Thank you.