Finnish avant-garde artist invites Korea's introverts to his first Seoul concert
From left, Diabate Amidou, Tasha and Lee Han-joo pose at Tiamonyoung studio in northwestern Seoul, July 14. Courtesy of Bereket Alemayehu
Artist Park Yeon-gyung, who goes by Tasha, has been busy preparing a challenging performance bringing diverse talents to the stage.
The show, happening this Friday at Tiamonyong in northwestern Seoul, centers on Jere Kilpinen, Finnish avant-garde artist who splits his time between Japan and South Korea.
“I saw his artwork and his music, art, everything," Tasha told The Korea Times. "I was so surprised and impressed. He not only paints, but he also makes music and writes poems. He also creates sculptures and has been working in the avant-garde music scene very actively in Japan. He has had many performances and shows."
Kilpinen works with many different mediums and materials, including poetry, music, woodblock prints, ink painting and sculpting. He creates with whatever he can get his hands his hands on. He also plays in some bands, and his solo music project is called Junkyard Shaman.
“In my music I want to connect all kinds of liminal elements, being in between dream and wake, using sounds of traditional instruments together with sounds of the industrial world and self-built instruments,” he said.
Kilpinen came to Korea last month, during which time he crashed at Tasha's place. During that stay, he told her he wanted to have a show in Korea.
"I never organized an avant-garde music show before but I wanted to support him," Tasha said. “I heard from him that avant-garde concerts are popular in Japan. Not only musicians, but also the young Japanese generation and old people enjoy the shows. But in Korea, it's not common. Even though I have many artist friends, I never had a chance to organize events for avant-garde artists. I think it's going to be new for Korean audiences."
What's in store she described as a mix of music, poetry, painting and dance, all together.
Jere Kilpinen performs his solo act, Junkyard Shaman / Courtesy of Jere Kilpinen
"For this show, I will try to adapt what I usually do into some sort of form that might still be interesting to a Korean audience, which is of course quite different from the Japanese one," Kilpinen said.
“I don't mean to sound impolite in any way, but in Korea, people are more attuned to entertainment, partying, happiness and celebration. I think it is a good thing, especially if you are playing with a band, but what I do is most of the time maybe more introspective and silent, more spiritual and to some people that might be boring and too slow, not danceable or just depressing. Japanese audiences, at least in the context of what I do and experience, are more open to that kind of silent and solitude experience. They do not only endure it for the sake of having paid the ticket, but understand and enjoy it. Partly, I would like to be proven wrong in this and would like to encourage all the lonely, silent or introverted people in Seoul to come to see the live performance too, as I feel that those people can maybe find more comfort in what I do."
Diabate Amidou plays a wind instrument at Tiamonyoung studio in northwestern Seoul, July 14. Courtesy of Bereket Alemayehu
Kilpinen will be playing with other locally based musicians, including West African musician Diabate Amidou, Bulgasari music team and Tasha.
"I don't have any specific plan for a performance — I rarely do, because it makes it boring for me. To me playing music is the time I am the truest, most honest me I can be, so I do not want to think at all. Just existence through sound," Kilpinen said. "But there is a difference between when I play alone and when I play with other people. When I play with others, it becomes a shared consciousness and we are in it together. I also enjoy that side of music very much so I am looking forward to meeting everybody and getting to know their language when we get to play together too. I like playing especially with people I don't know because every time something new is born out of it.”
Amidou Diabate comes from the Griot musical caste of Burkina Faso. He has lived in Korea for 12 years and is married to a Korean. He was trained by his father as a professional Griot musician from the age of 5, learning about African music traditions, instruments and stories of the Mandeng culture of West Africa. He plays the balafon, as well as the djembe, dundun, talking drum, goni, kalibas and almost all other traditional West African instruments at a high level. He started working independently as a professional musician at the age of 13. Since 1994, he has been a member of a team that has excelled in competitions in Burkina Faso and Mali, winning first place as a balafon player at the 2008 National Arts Competition in Burkina Faso.
He and his brothers manage Tiamonyoung, also known as Africa Music Jelly Munhwa Research Institute, a studio in Jeungsan Market which has several African traditional and modern musical instruments. In addition, he said he is preparing to release an album of balafon music soon.
Bulgasari musical team also will be improvising with experimental playing, rhythms and ideas. composing new songs featuring Korean and foreign artists, such as Lee Han-joo, Shi-ne and Má?a, a Czech-born multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and singer.
The show starts at 7:30 p.m. this Friday at Tiamonyoung Studio in Jeungsan Market. Tickets are 10,000won in advance, or 20,000won at the door. Follow @artlifeoft on Instagram for more information.
Bereket Alemayehu is an Ethiopian photo artist, social activist and writer based in Seoul. He's also the co-founder of Hanokers, a refugee-led social initiative and freelance contributor for Pressenza Press Agency.