PEACE minus one or G-Dragon takes over high art by stealth

There is always controversy about shifts in perception of Art. What becomes acceptable and how.
Like punk rock in the seventies was dangerous, untouchable for the majority, something abhorrent yet nowadays it has comfortably shifted into the mainstream and can now be heard playing as elevator musak. The same happens with pop culture. What are the criteria for the shift from pop culture to high art. Actually what is high art?

In this case I'm talking about what it takes for pop culture to move off the stage, out of the earphones, away from the computer and be placed within a frame and hung in the 'Art Gallery' And specifically the Seoul Museum of Art!
Is that not the pinnacle of 'High' Art in South Korea? or at least one of them?
G-Dragon from the Big Bang K-Pop band fame has done exactly this with an exhibition called
Peace Minus One - Beyond the Stage.

 To tell you the truth my expectations were not high. The music that Big Bang produce is considered to be good K-Pop but is that an oxymoron? They have one or two good songs and they are very lavish in the costume and make up department and over the top in the music video department but is it high art? will it translate to the gallery?

 The first space is a sort of surreal interpretation of life according to G-Dragon. It's a space that has been set up by him displaying a lot of his personal items and art from his own collection. As a surreal space it is a bit amateurish, a little bit like a bad Dali rip off from the 40's. Everything off tilt, hands coming out of doors etc No dripping clocks but the room is filled with the sound of a clock. But what fills the space is quite interesting and starts to give you an insight into this individual. He actually collects some very interesting art and artifacts from all around the world. It is easy to say that with that kinda money I would too but it's just as easy to do nothing with that kinda money too. His decisions and interests seem to be very well informed.

 And just like in real life where he is more than just a pawn in a boy band, he is power producer too, song writer?, artist! his artworks chosen for this display are very interesting and certainly worth the time to peruse.

 There are not too many items of 'favourite jacket', hat, shoes etc but a collection of crucifixes and a fantastic electric organ are just some of the things you will see.

 Once out of this first space you move into spaces where other artists have collaborated in setting up the space or it is just exhibiting their work because the G-Dragon likes them or they like the G-Dragon.

 This is where the exhibition gets very interesting, a series of rooms with all types of Artworks, like the interactive video installation above, or gigantic Hip Hop picture grams, sculptures, paintings, drawings etc etc.

 G-Dragon as Slayer or the slain?

Osang Gwon - untitled G-Dragon, a space with no name

Certainly my view of G-Dragon as vacuous, pretty boy toy singing doll has changed somewhat. The exhibition certainly changed that misconception.


At the very least we can say that Jiyong Gwong currates a great exhibition and certainly I am comfortable with his transition to High Art or the spaces of the galleries and museums of the world.

Anita's Last Cha Cha

So Filmed in Ether asked me to review this film for the Melbourne Queer Film Festival when I realised that the Director Sigrid Andrea Bernardo was amongst my social media network. Not knowing her personally I requested an introduction from someone who I was more acquainted with, a fellow Pinay director. They obliged willingly and when in contact I put forward to Sigrid the suggestion of some emailed questions or better still a Skype interview.

Well wasn't that just my treat, I got to review a fantastic film, meet a wonderful director and learn a whole lot more about independent film making in the Philippines.

This could be the evolution of Sigrid Andrea Bernardo from stage actress to director extraordinaire but we concentrated more on the film.

There are so many reasons I would recommend Anita's Last Cha Cha, take the chance to see it on the big screen, 6pm on the 25th March at ACMI (Melbourne). It's a real gem!

Working with non-actors is no easy feat and is an indicator of Sigrid’s strength as a director. She is described by her cast as an ‘actor’s director’ and although we live in an age of ‘technical directors’ dominating (think Hollywood/CGI), it is surely the director’s main responsibility to ensure a paramount performance. Anita’s Last Cha-Cha has beautiful locations, shots and structure with a sprinkle of magic realism but its performances are the gold in this movie. 
Read More

Videos that are a Gas #13

Where passions collide. Surfing in Sth Korea, who would've thought and so freak'n perfect though rather cold! Sit back and enjoy this one, most definantly a GAS!

The Winter Surf from AnotherDay on Vimeo.

Presented by YESiSURF.com & Another Day

"The Winter Surf" is a film shot in South Korea in winter, 2014.
It is directed, filmed and edited by a few dedicated surfers.
This film’s vision is to showcase surfing in Korea.
The Winter Surf includes two parts.
The first part captures the beauty of winter surf in Korea.
The second part shows how fun winter surf can be, especially to those who have never surfed in cold conditions.
Please enjoy the film. And if you like it, please share.
Thank You
-KWS project crew-
The Winter Surf 는 2014년 겨울, 대한민국 에서 촬영된 영상입니다.
이 영상은 한국의 겨울 서핑을 국내외에 알리기위한 목적으로 비영리로 진행되었으며
촬영부터 감독, 편집 등의 모든 과정이 서퍼들의 손에 이루어졌습니다.
The Winter Surf 는 크게 두 개의 파트로 이루어져 있습니다.
첫 번째 파트에는 한국 겨울 서핑의 아름다움을 담았으며,
두 번째 파트에서는 겨울 서핑이 얼마나 즐거울 수 있는지 보여드리려고 노력했습니다.
이번 영상 제작에 큰 도움을 주신 후원 업체 배럴, 지프코리아와 협력 브랜드인 서프코드, 롱로드에 진심으로 감사드립니다.
그리고 영화로 치면 주인공이나 마찬가지인 8명의 서퍼분들께 모두 감사의 말씀을 전합니다.
마지막으로 촬영기간 내내 많은 분들이 응원해주신 덕에 추운 날씨에도 즐거운 마음으로 촬영에 임할 수 있었으며 그것이 이 영상 제작의 가장 큰 원동력이 되었습니다.
즐겁게 감상하시고 많은 공유를 통해 한국 서핑을 널리 알려주시기 바랍니다.
감사합니다.
-KWS 프로젝트 크루 일동-

Yangyang is where this is at, up the top of the East Coast

Sono is the Man!!!

Why Don't You Play In Hell?


For those who thought the great man was wavering with Himizu & The Land of Hope after his acclaimed Trilogy of Hate, this is a triumphant return. 
And OK this is not recent news.
But for those in Australia, Madman has just released this cracker on DVD and because of this I have reviewed it for Filmed in Ether.

 "Why Don’t You Play in Hell? is an incredibly layered and complex film once you smear all the blood to one side. Don’t be foiled by the preposterous prepositions that predicate and permeate cause for anyone who is privy to Sion Sono’s vast body of work knows, he is more than just a cheap thrill. He’s a poet, an artist and then he is a prolific filmmaker with an average of more than one a year since 2000."    read more

 

A nice addition to the collection.

One that may have got through to the keeper?

There's a section in the website 'The Reel Word' called Hidden Gems for reviewing or reminiscing about great films from the past. My first go at this is a piece on Jonathan auf der Heide's Van Diemen's Land.
A tale of cannibalism set in the rugged Tasmanian wilderness circa 1820s.
So many facets of this film make it great and I remember seeing it in the cinema with a Q&A afterwards not realising I was at one of the few screenings that were projected in 35mm.
I got Jonathan out to talk to film students on two occasions and he is such an affable and informative guy, a real pleasure.

Here is the piece
It takes a brave director to throw away the tried-and-tested Hollywood three-act structure, especially for a debut feature, but sometimes fortune favours the brave. Van Diemen’s Land rolls out like the kids’ song “Ten in the Bed,” except in this case it’s eight.  read more

 

and a bit more info can be got at the official website

Down By The Sea Wall One Evening

Mine

Mine

Huh?

"Wasz that?"

"fark!"

"Shit!"

Stand Off

"Piss Off"

"fuck it! I'm outa here too!"

There's a storm a'brewing

The Troops Rally to Support BIFF

A few weeks ago I posted a little something about the trouble in Busan regarding the Director of BIFF, Lee Yong-kwan, being pressured by the Lord Mayor of Busan City to stand down from his position one year earlier than the expiry of his contract. The reason? because his festival showed the documentary 'Diving Bell' or 'The Truth Shall Nit Sink With Sewol' when the city had expressly requested that the festival not show the film. (read here for the background)

This is dangerous ground when politics expresses a desire to influence an independent film festival of international repute. Princess Park is putting her finger indirectly into the pie where she is most unwelcome. There has been an international response from festival directors, filmmakers and cineastes to the political manoeuvrings happening in the south of Korea.

Rather than bang on about stuff more eloquently written elsewhere here is a link that contains what the Director's of Cannes & Venice film Festivals say and what some of the filmmakers are saying in statements of support for BIFF and its director Lee Yong-kwan.
In English
In Korean
And another in English that also broadens the debate beyond Busan
Watch this space!

Lee Yong Kwan's domestic troubles are gaining International support