Grandmothers’ Lounge: From the Other Side of Voices, 2014
Listening Archive
Commissioned by SeMA
Biennale Mediacity Seoul 2014
Photo: Sang-il Choi
Materials in the listening archive Grandmothers’ Lounge: From the Other Side of Voices were selected by radio producer Sang-il Choi out of the three radio programs he produced at MBC from 1989 to 2005, Korean Traditional Folksongs, Baekdu-Daegan Folk Travel, and Korean Traditional Singers. Out of the broadcasted versions and related materials, Choi carefully selected and reorganized audio clips, texts and photographs that expand on the themes of Mediacity Seoul 2014. Choi has faithfully captured the customs, culture, myths, stories and songs that have been accumulated in individuals’ experiences but have disappeared because they were not considered things to preserve in Korea. His work contains anthropological, social and historical values.
Grandmothers’ Lounge: From the Other Side of Voices mainly consists of the stories and songs about myths and nature, which grandmothers have witnessed, experienced, remembered and sang over the years of ordeals in this country. At the lounge there are mixed audio tapes, interviews, texts, photographs and books under classified themes to help visitors approach the archive. Although most grandmothers who contributed to the archive have passed away, they still tell “stories in songs and songs in stories” in their vivid voices at the archive lounge. Through the hearts and attitudes of our grandmothers who always humbly prayed to transcendental beings, we may explore alternative attitudes in life, which can influence today’s extremely human-centered attitude.
We hope the voices of grandmothers?who are not visible but reveal their existence with unique power?can here be experienced by the audience just like spirits. [Sang-il Choi, Jiyeon Kim]