You and I, I and You - Ordinary Unknown_curated by LEE Seul
Artist Chun Kyungwoo makes his comment on communion arising from humanistic interactions among those who are unknown to one another through performance integrated with photography. He makes use of the medium of photography in order to document the process of producing his works. He captures the whole act of conversing with objects by keeping his camera’s shutter open for a long span of time. His performance is usually executed in collaboration with objects. Communion engendered through such performance results in including the inner voices of all participants, the artist himself, and spectators as well. Considering that we have fewer conversations due to social networking services, he intends to provide an opportunity to converse with one another through interactions with unfamiliar people. This is the seminal feature of his work.
This exhibition features records of Ordinary Unknown, a performancethat took place at Sunaparanta – Goa Center for the Artsin Panaji, India, displaying strange relationships with unknown people and communion with them that may occur in everyday life. This performance was executed for approximately 20 minutes in silence. It was made up of actions of serving traditional food of the Goa region for someone who a participant meets first. In this performance one may serve their favorite food for others in the order they please.
The 30 participants are all completely strangers to one another. We may have curiosity about what they feel in the process of “serving” or “being served” food. Some may feel that 20 minutes is awkward. Unlike other performances, most of the 30 participants stayed at the site of the performance as if they were all close acquaintances or relatives or they had talks at a feast. An act of communing with others with food is obviously strange but special.
In Ethiopia, gursha is an act of putting food into another's mouth with one’s hand. As this is an expression of intimacy and love, the act of eating the food is deemed as a reaction to the other’s goodwill. This is obviously a ritual to enter a close relationship or create communion, just as a mom feedsa baby food or a grandma serves one more side dish to her grandson.
Although you and I do not have a strong bond, but only have a fleeting moment of connection for a brief time of 20 minutes, the moment when we serve or are served food is the most elemental, special moment that can be remembered through Chun’s performance.
