Cross the Flow of Violence
흐르는 폭력을 건너기
Interactive performance, 30’ 00”, Apr 2025
“Dare to cross the flow of violence — with a broker as your guide.”
This 30-minute interactive performance for 15 audience members is led by the artist in the role of a “broker” — a figure who helps the perilous escape from North Korea to China for a price. Brokers play a significant role in guiding North Korean refugees across the Tumen River, a heavily monitored border where armed guards patrol day and night.
Inspired by the story of Mrs. Kim, a North Korean refugee who survived underwater while crossing the river, the artist leads the audience through the exhibition space as if navigating the swirling flow of American imperialist violence in the trans-Pacific. The space becomes a fragmented landscape of memories, witnesses, and echoes — demanding that participants move through it with uncertainty, urgency, and resolve.
As Mrs. Kim once said, “You either die or survive underwater.”
Together, we submerge into this flow, fumbling through the death, pain, and grit of those who came before us. Will we be able to connect to the flow and emerge on the other side of the land?
Inspired by the story of Mrs. Kim, a North Korean refugee who survived underwater while crossing the river, the artist leads the audience through the exhibition space as if navigating the swirling flow of American imperialist violence in the trans-Pacific. The space becomes a fragmented landscape of memories, witnesses, and echoes — demanding that participants move through it with uncertainty, urgency, and resolve.
As Mrs. Kim once said, “You either die or survive underwater.”
Together, we submerge into this flow, fumbling through the death, pain, and grit of those who came before us. Will we be able to connect to the flow and emerge on the other side of the land?
Photo by Sin Yu
Artist talk moderated by Srimoyee Mitra
