‘In the Presence of Others’ a contemporary art exhibition organized at Korean Cultural Centre, India

On Mar 23, 2017

New Delhi: Korean Cultural Centre, India organized a contemporary art exhibition – ‘In the presence of others’ by collective artists and groups across the globe – India, South Korea, Japan and Vietnam. The exhibitions’ aim is to host a conversation around ideas produced among multiple presences. It is premised on the idea that collective practices of contemporary art engage with the world differently, because they generate potentials beyond the limitations of individual authorship.The art show will forge ahead till 13th April 2017 from 9.30 AM to 5.30 PM.

· Okin Collective group from Seoul, South Korea presented ‘Performative Operations’.

· Desire Machine Collective group from Guwahati, India presented ‘Alternative Philosophies’.

· The Propeller Group from Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam showcased their work on the ‘Historically Anchored and Conceptually Dynamic Work’.

· And Chim Pom group from Tokyo, Japan presented ‘Activist Engagements’.

Srinivas Aditya Mopidevi, Curator said that with photographs, textual provocations, video and sound installations, the exhibition is a new set of artistic and conceptual cadences that are involved in the active process of world-making. He added that artist’s horizons move beyond the locations that they belong to, activating a range of imaginaries along the way. He appreciatesall collective groups or artists for their work.

About Art Works

Okin Collective group presented the “performative operations for something Black and Hot” which is a video manual version of a performance by the group that recalls the nuclear disaster in fukushima during the period of a media blackout leading to maximum damage for their citizens. The idea was to increase self-defense ability at a time when the government has continuously failed to protect its citizens.

Okin Collective researched many related official guides on how to act during a disaster in korea, but were disappointed by their carelessness and inadequacy – most of them just said repeatedly to calm down; endure; wait; prevention is the best measure. Okin Choreographed in this operation is on how to make eye contact, to hold hands with complete strangers, and to depend on each other in the time of crisis.

Desire Machine Collective has been founded by Sonal Jain and Mriganka Madhukaillya in 2004. Their work presented alternative philosophies which contain intersection of art, ecology, technology and activism. Noise Life I, is a film presented by the group which explores the links between capitalist society and schizophrenia and how human subjectivity has been appropriated by capitalism.

The Propeller Group was established in 2006 as a cross-disciplinary structure for creating ambitious art projects presented conceptually dynamic work. With backgrounds in visual art, film and video – Phunam, Matt Lucero and Tuan Andrew Nguyen created the collective to harness the synergetic spirit encountered in large – scale production efforts.

The Living Need Light, The Dead Need Music by Propeller group is a visual and musical journey through the fanatastic funeral traditions and rituals of South Vietnam. The film merges documentary footage of actual funeral processions with stunning re-enactments that bring the film into the realm of the abstract, poetic and metaphorical – rumination on death and the lives that pay homage to it.

Chim Pom Group was formed in 2005 with Ushiro Ryuta, Yasutaka Ellie, Okada Masataka, Inaoka Motomu, Mizuno Toshinori and Yuki Maedo. This group has continuously released works that fully intervene in contemporary society with activist messages.

KI-AI 100 is a video work films by the chim pom members, together with friends made in soma city. As soma city is one of the affected areas of the great east Japan earthquake in which people lost their loved ones, their houses were washed away and they spend over two months in the destroyed city despite fear of radiation. Film shows the real shouts in all in one-cut and ad-libbed by the young locals who although being victims themselves and had continued to provide relief and help towards reconstruction.