Talk
Artist Talk: Jaha Koo
Jaha Koo is the artist behind Haribo Kimchi, whose Japan premiere will be held at the festival, marking the first time one of his works is performed in the country. In this talk, Koo will discuss how he created this work, which is themed around “food”—a mirror that reflects social identities and structures. He will describe in his own words his unique methodology, which blends personal and political histories while mixing music, video, and other media. Koo will also talk about creating works while reflecting on imperialism in East Asia, and the starting point for his activity.
Guest: Jaha Koo
Host: Kyoto Experiment Co-directors
10.26 (Sat) 16:00-17:00
Jaha Koo
Ghent, Belgium and Seoul, Korea
Jaha Koo is a South Korean theatre/performance maker, music composer and videographer. Koo majored in Theatre Studies (BFA, 2011) at Korea National University of Arts and earned a master's degree (MA, 2016) at DAS Theatre in Amsterdam. His artistic practice oscillates between multimedia and performance, encompassing his own music, video, text, and robotic objects. His most recent project, the Hamartia Trilogy, includes Lolling and Rolling (2015), Cuckoo (2017), and The History of Korean Western Theatre (2020). The trilogy represents a long-term exploration of the political landscape, colonial history and cultural identity of East Asia. Thematically, it focuses on structural issues in Korean society and how the inescapable past tragically affects our lives today. Koo has presented his work in theaters and festivals all over the world including Zürcher Theater Spektakel (Switzerland), Kunstenfestivaldesarts (Brussels, Belgium), National Theatre and Concert Hall (Taipei, Taiwan), Seoul Performing Arts Festival (Korea), Push International Performing Arts Festival (Vancouver, Canada) and OzAsia Festival (Adelaide, Australia) among many others.