The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    Korea to ease entry rules to boost tourism, domestic spending

  • 3

    Korea moves to shorten COVID-19 isolation period to 5 days

  • 5

    IU says she was excited to share screen with Park Seo-joon in 'Dream'

  • 7

    Will dismantling oligopoly result in successful bank industry reform?

  • 9

    Terraform Labs co-founder's extradition could be delayed more than 1 month

  • 11

    Fintech, lifestyle products can help Korea grow trade ties with Hong Kong: city's trade promotion chief in Korea

  • 13

    Advancing biological weapons convention (BWC): the Philippine role

  • 15

    Ex-journalist to lead NK defector support foundation

  • 17

    LX Hausys inks strategic alliance with Reynaers for high-end home windows market

  • 19

    Korea-Japan relations experts call for joint research to co-write history textbooks

  • 2

    From IVE to NCT DOJAEJUNG, K-pop hotshots brace for April chart race

  • 4

    INTERVIEWCan art become stable investment source?

  • 6

    Generation Z entrepreneurs turn oyster shells into trendy dish soap

  • 8

    Apple to open 5th retail store in Korea this week

  • 10

    Celltrion chairman vows to develop new drugs, initiate M&As

  • 12

    Top envoy to US tapped as new national security advisor

  • 14

    INTERVIEWForeign-born entertainers seek to revolutionize local industry

  • 16

    Korean players faced with uncertainty in new MLB season

  • 18

    Seoul participates in Asia's biggest smart city expo in Taipei

  • 20

    US to continue building defense capabilities against NK nuclear threats

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
Fri, March 31, 2023 | 01:55
Fortune Telling
Artist adds raw emotion to sound bytes
Posted : 2010-06-23 17:22
Updated : 2010-06-23 17:22
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link

Japanese performance artist Yasuto Masumoto in the mask recites a speech in Korean during his live performance at his exhibition at Gallery Loop in Hongdae, last Saturday. / Courtesy of Gallery Loop

By Ines Min
Staff reporter

For those art aficionados looking for something a bit more rough around the edges, one need look no further than Gallery Loop in Hongdae.

Currently on show is a video archive by Japanese performance artist Yasuto Masumoto, including a recording of his latest work performed in the gallery last Saturday.

The 29-year-old with a mop of wild hair was spotted at the archive over the weekend, mingling with visitors viewing his work. The setting was discordant: While Masumoto was quietly speaking in English to his Korean audience, the video of him reading a script in a pained, howling voice rung in the background.

Though the artist will tell you his works have no concrete meaning, he did have a concept in mind while creating "Private Chorus." The video shows a suited _ bowtie included _ Masumoto, standing atop a platform with an assistant holding his bare foot. With another to hold a microphone close, the artist begins to read a Korean script (phonetically spelled out in Japanese) while he endures an exceptionally painful foot massage.

"Reading a different language is to deal with a different culture, for me," he said. "To know a foreign language is the first step to knowing a different culture."

However, Masumoto believes it is impossible to completely meld into a foreign world. The artist lived in Portugal for two years, where he attempted _ unsuccessfully _ to assimilate.

"I tried to get into the culture, but I realized that I couldn't," he said. "No one can fully know a different culture...to get into a different culture is always painful."

Themes of confrontation and cultural boundaries are an oft subject for the Japanese artist, and other videos featured include "The World," in which he documents groups of different ethnicities cooking with a foreign-language recipe. Even the smallest cultural indicators can be seen in the idea of "mistranslation" and the resulting variances.

Though such basic actions like cooking or, in one video, brushing one's teeth, are commonplace occurrences, Masumoto feels a greater commentary is to be taken. "I think every action has a lot of meaning in a context," he said.

But the most jarring aspect of Masumoto's work is in the sound. Each piece is accompanied by a microphone, intimately close to the performer's mouth or picking up the noise of every movement. The effect is at once shocking and irresistible _ altogether emotionally wracking. In "Private Chorus," the piece is less about cultural boundaries as it is about the noises that the artist emits under duress; "The World" takes in every moment of human interactions encountered while cooking.

In "Cosmic Dolly Shot," which he performed spontaneously while participating at the high-profile non-profit "No Soul for Sale" in London's Tate Modern, takes in the city's rumblings and crowded public settings.

In the video, Masumoto rigs together a dolly, camera and speakers, loading it with decorative balloons and inflatable tubes. Blaring Japanese reggae loudly ("I just wanted to listen to that music"), the artist made his way slowly from inside the Tate, across the Millennium Bridge, and through the city. The camera records the varied reactions from the crowds, while the microphone captures the absurdity of the music in the contrasting atmosphere, but also the lightheartedness of the laughter the dolly incites.

"My art is based on human noise," Masumoto added. "The kind that is between human relationships, (created) by doing different things."

"Private Chorus" is on display through July 31 at Gallery Loop in Seogyo-dong, near Hongik University. For more information visit www.galleryloop.com.
Emailinesmin@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
Top 10 Stories
1College students turn to 1,000 won breakfast to beat inflation College students turn to 1,000 won breakfast to beat inflation
2[INTERVIEW] South Korea needs to make decision on sending lethal aid to Ukraine : CNAS CEO INTERVIEWSouth Korea needs to make decision on sending lethal aid to Ukraine : CNAS CEO
3Korean aesthetics, spirit live on at Gyeongbok Palace Korean aesthetics, spirit live on at Gyeongbok Palace
4Children, pregnant women executed, tortured in North Korea: report Children, pregnant women executed, tortured in North Korea: report
5Rare Joseon-era map returns home from Japan Rare Joseon-era map returns home from Japan
6South Korea nominates new ambassador to USSouth Korea nominates new ambassador to US
7French admiral highlights importance of multilateralism in Indo-Pacific region French admiral highlights importance of multilateralism in Indo-Pacific region
8Korea to scrap customs form for travelers without dutiable goods Korea to scrap customs form for travelers without dutiable goods
9Japanese top visitors to Korea in 2023 as tourism rebounds Japanese top visitors to Korea in 2023 as tourism rebounds
10Chun Doo-hwan's grandson to visit May 18 National Cemetery Chun Doo-hwan's grandson to visit May 18 National Cemetery
Top 5 Entertainment News
1From IVE to NCT DOJAEJUNG, K-pop hotshots brace for April chart race From IVE to NCT DOJAEJUNG, K-pop hotshots brace for April chart race
2IU says she was excited to share screen with Park Seo-joon in 'Dream' IU says she was excited to share screen with Park Seo-joon in 'Dream'
3[INTERVIEW] Foreign-born entertainers seek to revolutionize local industry INTERVIEWForeign-born entertainers seek to revolutionize local industry
4NewJeans, Apple join hands to bring immersive audio experience NewJeans, Apple join hands to bring immersive audio experience
5[INTERVIEW] Ahn Jae-hong on playing underdog basketball coach in 'Rebound' INTERVIEWAhn Jae-hong on playing underdog basketball coach in 'Rebound'
DARKROOM
  • Turkey-Syria earthquake

    Turkey-Syria earthquake

  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group