art activism for
community development through
civic engagement and cultural exchange
Tea[r] Posts
Tea[r]
Korea International Performance Art Festival
Three years ago, whilst lying on the grass at Woodford Folk Festival, a Korean Performance Artist, Hong O Bong, dangerously swung a world globe covered in shaving cream over my head. At the time I never thought that I’d ever have the chance of touring Korea with him as a performance artist! But somehow these things just happen…
Hong O Bong’s own Bucheon International Performance Art Festival (BIPAF) was the beginning of a two-week tour of South Korea. Performance artists from Thailand, Japan, the UK, The Philippines, Taiwan, The USA, Australia and Korea came together showcasing a diverse range of performance art in Bucheon Subway Station over three days. After Bucheon, I travelled to and performed in a range of different spaces, from public city squares to sunflower farms in the mountains.
My essay on emerging performance art in Brisbane, Replaced to Displace was printed in the BIPAF catalogue, and you can download it here.
The performance piece that I presented was called Tea[r] – a walking meditation that emerged while travelling back and forth between Korea and Australian between 2006 and 2009.
Tea[r]
한국의 여러분 안녕하세요! 이 웹사이트의 모든 정보는 영어와 한국어로 제공될 예정입니다. 한국어 정보는 조금만 기다려 주세요.
Tea[r]
in search of energetic exchanges
Tea[r] is a visual performance stunt that seeks unity in a world where all appears separate. A displaced queer lover carries a large fragile cube; framing a safe, personal space wherein he can be alone, or spark an electric connection with a stranger. Temporary again, the lover vulnerably seeks the energy of new relationships, eye contact that speaks louder than language, and the touch of another in the here and now.
With no narrative, no language and no rules, performing Tea[r] is a liberating experience. The choreography is largely emotional rather than physical – while presenting a series of simple actions, this work focusing on presenting a series of energetic invitations.
The paper cube used in Tea[r] has a history and bears the scars of previous performances. It has been destroyed and repaired countless times and has travelled back and forth between Brisbane and Seoul on many occasions. Tea[r] vibrates between Korea and Australia, attempting to bring individuals from both countries closer together – to blur the boundaries between them and forge friendships.
Tear[r] was originally performed and filmed in Ui Cheon and was later performed at the 2009 Yeongpyeong International Performance Art Festival. The original video footage was later showcased as part of the multimedia performance, Nok Cha Café at the Under The Radar Festival (Brisbane, 2009), The Museum For Contemporary Arts Changdong Art Studios (Seoul, 2009), LG Fashion Gallery (Seoul, 2009) and Burnett Lane (Brisbane, 2010).
the reverse of here and now
love and technology
as per usual, suddenly i’m back in brisbane… and jeremy is in seoul… the opposite of the photo above which depicts me in seoul and footage of jezz in brisbane… the boundaries are starting to blur… geography is losing the war against love and technology… separation exists, but only when we forget that we’re all one with eachother and this earth.
tea helps us to appreciate the here and the now, while reminding us of our connection to the universe.
it’s all a bit cosmic, but i’m ok with that tonight.