Fiber

The idea for this piece emerged after engaging with the concept and witnessing the performance in Hara Shin’s 3-ch video installation Monumental Ether. Bodies. The performer’s movements were inspired by reflections on neo-materialism, taxidermied hierarchies, and an attempt to recall memories and past experiences. These movements were conceived as „experiments with simulations that transfer a hypothetical taxidermy into a living embryo.”*

“Taxidermy, collection, and ownership are tied to humanity’s material conquest of nature, nonhuman beings, and colonial behaviors. By indicating the remnants of culturally and politically entrenched actions and the hierarchies preserved by humans, the video work encourages liberated beings to reflect on a future where these boundaries are dismantled. The locations featured include Kückenmühler Anstalten in Szczecin, a site marked by the tragic history of Nazi operations like the T4 euthanasia program; the Tropical Botanical Garden in Lisbon, a space once part of the Colonial Garden and now associated with the Age of Exploration; and the Tancheon stream in Seoul, which carries a legend tied to Dongfang Shuo and was polluted.” *

The sound structure consists of movements and performative gestures recorded on fiberfill, a material commonly used as filler in taxidermy. As I developed the sonic structure, I focused on sounds that could evoke these recalled memories, the subtle micro-movements of hidden elements, and the smallest particles and fibers initiating events from within. The process began with recordings. I provoked delicate microphone movements (Uszi Pro) and adjusted their positions while watching video clips of the performance. This served as an introduction of performative gestures into the recording process and helped me to connect with the performer. It was also a reference to Foley techniques. This intuitive and performative recording process became a crucial element in shaping the sonic structure.

„Within the fluid rhythm of time that links past, present, and future, the exhibition space unfolds as a method of mediating the present. A single long fabric integrated the video channels and sound installation, organically portraying the rebirth and reactivation of what has been taxidermied.”*

*Hara Shin’s information about the project.

Many thanks to Hara Shin for invitation to this amazing collaboration.

set:
2024 – TINC Seoul – as a part of Hara Shin’s 3-ch video installation Monumental Ether. Bodies.

photo credits:
Hara Shin