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Songs for dying, 2021, Korakrit Arunanonchai, 30:18 HD Video
Created in collaboration with artist and director Alex Gvojic, Songs for living features narration by singer Zsela reading text from Simon Weil’s Gravity and Grace and Eduard Glissant’s essays Soleil de la conscience (Sun of consciousness). Songs for living is presented in saturated blue and orange curtains of light. Spirits dance around a fire in a ritualistic fashion that is at times grotesque, at others mesmerizing. This is contrasted by clips of winged motorcyclists racing through New York City.
Installed as a traditional projection in Canal Project’s basement space – thematically tying into the idea of burial – Songs for dying (2021) is presented in three acts, depicting a process of dying that is not final in nature, but instead serves as a possibility for the creation of new forms of existence. Within the film are sporadic clips of political upheaval, rituals of mourning, and a shaman character painted in white. Scenes from the 1958 South Korean Jeju Massacre, where over 30,000 civilians were killed by its military dictatorship are shown in relation to the protests and grieving practices that were performed after speaking of the events was outlawed by the South Korean National Assembly.
About Korakrit Arunanondchai
A visual artist, filmmaker and storyteller, Korakrit Arunanondchai employs his versatile practice to tell stories embedded in cultural transplantation and hybridity. His body of work engages with a multitude of subjects primarily based around the forms in which people gather, seen through the political and ritualistic means. Surpassing a solitary artist, Arunanondchai is an avid collaborator who has worked on videos, performances and music together with an extensive list of people including his family and friends.
About Canal Projects
Canal Projects is a nonprofit contemporary art institution dedicated to supporting forward-thinking international artists at pivotal moments in their careers. Through production, exhibition, research and interpretation of the work, Canal Projects intends to foster artistic practices that challenge and reflect on the current moment. Visit canalprojects.org for further details.
About YS Kim Foundation
Canal Projects is generously supported by the YS Kim Foundation, a New York-based 501(c)(3) organization that provides general support grants and implements innovative programs to help underrepresented and emerging artists and their communities thrive. YS Kim Foundation envisions a world where people and communities grow and flourish with culture, creativity, opportunities, and connection. Its mission is to support, mobilize, and open new pathways of success for artists, children, young leaders, communities, and organizations. It does this by starting new initiatives and providing grants and scholarships to organizations and students.
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@canalprojectsny
Hours of operation
Tuesday – Saturday, 12-6pm
Media Contacts
Ben Demars or Lourdes Miller
Blue Medium, Inc.
Tel: +1-212-675-1800
ben@bluemedium.com or [email protected]
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