Seoul Sae-nam Gut (Important Intangible Cultural Property no.104, designated in 1996) is the major shamanistic ritual for the dead, the largest in its kind in Seoul. It is based on the tradition of Jin-o-gi Gut (form of ritual to guide the dead to the ways of Heaven). This shamanistic ritual is a colorful mixture of Buddhistic elements and royal culture in the high society.
 
Seoul Sae-nam Gut follows the religious belief of worshiping ancestors, which is the basic shamanistic idea. At the same time, it is to console the souls of the dead, who are on the waiting list of ancestors. The main feature of this ritual is that several gods enter the ritual so the shaman wears several costumes on top of each layer to realize the idea of plural gods. Each god costume signifies a certain divinity and to wear them at the same time expresses the adjacent state of these divine entities. Furthermore, the artistic feature of Seoul Sae-nam Gut is in the elegant and neat moves(dance) which are choreographed in harmony with the lyrics and tune, shaman song, folk song, rhythm of Tang dynasty music.
 
The ritual of the opening performance has significant meaning in our context in many ways. First of all, it is to celebrate the commencement of the exhibition and to cleanse any history of agony or tragedy left behind at the site of Seoul Museum of Art, originally used by the Court of Justice and the Supreme Court. At the same time, it is to console the poor souls who have lost their lives due to recent tragic accidents in Korea and to wish for the country to find its stable ground and for the people to regain peace. As Mediacity Seoul 2014 strongly expresses its Asian identity, the Korean traditional ritual would be a special occasion pertinent to the celebration of the opening.
 

Shaman: Lee, Sang Soon
(Designated performer of Important Intangible Cultural Property)
Born in 1950, Seoul. Lee has been possessed by the shaman god since the age of 15 and worshiping the god for 50 years. She was designated as the performer of Intangible Culture Property, Seoul Sae-nam Gut, in July 2005. Published the book Seoul Sae-nam Gut, New Song Collection, and recorded the albums The Old Songs of Seoul, Shaman Song for House Ritual, and Princess Bari.

 

Le Nouveau Monde Amoureux is inspired by a book of the same title written by a 19th century utopian socialist Fran?ois Marie Charles Fourier (1772-1837). The initial production of the work was supported by the Asian Arts Theater in Gwangju, South Korea. The current work is a revised version of the original, produced with support from Mediacity Seoul 2014.

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Jakrawal’s work ranges from short film and documentary to video installation and feature film. Unreal Forest (2010) became his first feature. The project was initiated by the Rotterdam Film Festival and was shot in Zambia. His recent short film Stone Cloud (2014) was selected for the 2014 Berlin Film Festival. Lives and works in Bangkok.

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Eric Baudelaire is a visual artist and filmmaker. His recent feature films include Letters to Max (2014), and The Ugly One (2013). His research-based practice also includes printmaking, photography and publications that have been shown in installations alongside his films. He participated in the Berlin Documentary Forum 2 in 2012, and La Triennale 2012 in Paris. Lives and works in Paris. www.baudelaire.net

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