The term happening was used since the late 1950s to refer to performance art, and subsequently the terms event, live art, and performance have been used since the 1970s. Through performances, artists attempted to deviate from physically created artworks, and also changed the form of performance art that had, up until that time, mainly emphasized theatrical and musical components. From these experiments, the space where performances take place became diversified. The performances led to hang around among forms of art, as people who experienced them entered into an artwork.
In Falling Eggs, Eunji Cho presents four types of performances by 10 performers. In three rooms, each performance by a group or individual begins simultaneously. Thus, the initial movement that each audience faces differs, since it is determined by choices made by the one who enters the gallery space (i.e. whether to ascend or descend the staircase or to stay and watch). A wordless conversation occurs between those who express movements and those who freely walk through the space to watch them. Language made by body movements appears to be more like an abstract signal, rather than a delivery/conveyance/expression of emotion.
‘What causes eggs to fall?’
The artist has been focusing on deaths in recent years that resulted from falling or sinking, and the cause of this series of incidents. The fallings seemed to be a reaction to hidden, mysterious trigger, not an outcome of cause that appears on the surface. Also, the cause and effect relationship was always
abstract. In this performance, Performer 10’s act of dropping mud appears to be the exact reason for falling eggs from viewer’s perspective. However, this is just a consequence of an event. One needs to see the processes of mixture/assembly and disassembly of the movements before the incident happens in the place, and the interactions with surroundings.
The performance runs continuously/repeatedly for one hour in a circular form, which may seem repetitive at a first glance. In fact, the movements are never the same during the performance because bodies create slightly different gestures each time. Through these variances, new perspectives constantly arise. When the performers leave the space, the remaining sound and trace of the event appear stagnant; however, they become a device that enables one to imagine the previous processes. Hand marks on the white sand, traces of mud, muddy water in the buckets, and faint footprints - these lead one to infer movements with his or her own imagination which is less exposed during the actual performances.
Curated by Kyungmin Lee
Translated by Rachel Lee
Performance Schedule
Every Thursday, Sunday PM 2-3, 4-5
Press release courtesy ONE AND J. Gallery.
26, Apgujeong-ro 60-gil
Gangnam-gu
Seoul, 06014
South Korea
www.oneandj.com
+82 2 745 1644
+82 2 745 1642 (Fax)
Tuesday – Sunday
11am – 6pm