Re: [-empyre-] Cunnilingus in North Korea

[YOUNG-HAE CHANG HEAVY INDUSTRIES <tfa@chollian.net>]

Hi Ryan,

Thanks again for having us in your show:

http://www.turbulence.org/curators/griffis/index.html

And thanks for the clichés about Korean-Americans.

Being of color, we have also, like your Taiwanese-American friend,
encountered scrutiny and queries about one or another aspect of said color.
Unlike your friend, though, we don't find anything to get excited about. To
us, the curiosity is harmless. This isn't the sixties. As you say, it's a
complex world out there, and like other people, we'd like to reduce everyone
to a stereotype as fast as we can, so we can get on with things.

In fact, if there's one thing we're learning from globalization it's that
we're all destined to become white, if we aren't already. This is a
heartening thought.

Thanks for the invite. Our band isn't quite ready to leave the studio for a
Weekend in LA. 

Gosh, you really get around. Isn't there a Venice where you live?

"How do you feel about your work in spatial settings versus being
framed by browsers and computers?" Good question. Answer: small. Or rather,
we realized that the smallness of Net art in a large public space would be
like David against the Goliaths of installation art. Hence the gunshots
soundtrack (actually, cymbal crashes) to attract attention, and the fairly
large, flashing projection:

http://www.yhchang.com/PAO!_PAO!_PAO!.html

These are gunshots:

http://www.trans.artnet.or.jp/candy/index.html

As you note, in Venice we were no longer framed by the browser, and it led
to confusion -- we're not video artists, but since then, and because of some
other public installations we've done, we're wrongly seen as some.

We don't like that feeling, to answer your question, not because we dislike
video, but because we have a world of respect for video artists and cannot
and do not want to compete with them.

We are now in the process of recreating YOUNG-HAE CHANG HEAVY INDUSTRIES for
public spaces so that there will be no mistaking our debt to and dependence
on the Internet. 

Young-hae and Marc



On 5/5/05 12:13 PM, "ryan griffis" <grifray@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Speaking of the representation of Korea in the relative West... i'm
> writing from "Korea Town" in LA (well, really the border between KT and
> Little Armenia). Here, the stereotypes of Korea (when they show up) are
> images of convenience store owners who don't like people darker than
> them, especially post-1992. but "they" do like Karaoke. oh, and "they"
> like small fluffy dogs. not chihuahuas, "brown" people have those.
> it's funny that even here, where there are dozens of nationalities (and
> multiple forms of hybridity and generational heritage) everywhere, the
> most reductive assumptions still find a way to assert themselves. a
> friend of mine who's parents were from Taiwan has been asked,
> repeatedly whether she's Korean, Japanese or Thai depending on what
> part of town she was in. And is always asked where the best Chinese
> restaurant is. She would sarcastically answer, "Sorry, i'm from Taiwan
> Town." or give them directions to Mann's Chinese Theater.
> as for the work in question, the jazz and the text have always made me
> think of those ironic recreations of beat poetry and early spoken
> word... i still snap my fingers every time.
> i'm curious how you guys (YHCHI) are making your own music... did you
> form a band?
> if so, i'd like to invite you to play in LA soon. of course, you'd be
> more than welcome even if you didn't play music.
> btw: the piece in the last Venice Biennale with the gun shot audio was
> very nice and startling.
> (how do you feel about your work in spatial settings versus being
> framed by browsers and computers? it really was a different
> experience.)
> take care,
> ryan g
> 
> _______________________________________________
> empyre forum
> empyre@lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au
> http://www.subtle.net/empyre
> 
>