2011 Haein Art

2011 HAEIN ART DAY Date: Saturday, September 24, 2011 Place: Haeinsa Temple, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea Organizer: Haein Art Project Curator: Jiwoong Yoon Sponsors: Ministry of Culture & Tourism, South Gyeongsang Province, Millenial Anniversary of the Tripitaka Koreana Festival, Hapcheon County, Haeinsa Temple e invite you to become a collaborator in Haein Art Day, an innovative day of performance as Wpart of the 2011 Haein Art Project. Haein Art Day seeks to weave together diverse styles of performance in order to spark new connections between Buddhist concepts and modern expression. Open your mind and experience an unprecedented collaboration of contemporary performance and traditional Korean Seon (Zen) Buddhist practice at Haeinsa Temple.

Founded in 802 AD, Haeinsa is best known for housing the most complete extant collection of the Buddhist canon known as the Tripitaka Koreana. Nestled in the verdant valleys and ridges of Gaya- san National Park with its nearly 350 devout monks and nuns, Haeinsa is as full of sounds as it is eternally silent. Ritual chanting and wooden gongs reverberate between airy buildings as orchestras of birds and nearby streams engorged by monsoon rains flow down the valley. In Seon meditation practice, the mind is completely quiet and becomes as a mirror, reflecting the external world. For the first time at Haeinsa, we invite performers and the audience to reflect on the temple’s sounds and silences and to observe and engage in its rituals.

At day break, Haeinsa Seon Center will open its doors to the public for the first time in the temple’s 1200 year history. From early morning until early evening, whether it is your first time meditating or you regularly cultivate samadhi, experience the power of collective focus in the meditation hall.

Throughout the day, children and adults can flex their creative minds with engaging, interactive activies such as recreating the ancient Haein maze, and photo and craft activities. In the afternoon, witness monks from many other temples face off in a drum competition that highlights their focus, intensity, and creativity. The evening performance will begin with the traditional playing of the drum, bell, wooden fish, and cloud gong as a call to awaken all the beings of the universe. The deep tones and striking rhythms move past your ears, even your musical taste, your age, your senses, and strike the core of your being.

Haein Art Project: 44-1 Chiin-ri, Gaya, Hapcheon, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea, (678-895) TEL: 055-934-3175 (English); 055-934-3173 (Korean); Fax 055-934-3174 Web: www.haeinart.org Email: [email protected] Evening Performance: Haein Samadhi

ollowing the Buddhist principle of dependent origination, or the principle of conditionality, each per- Fformance of the evening will bleed into the next in order to form a singular, multi-faceted collaboration. Percussion and ancient singing styles will intermingle with live video manipulation of the temple’s architec- tural plans, improvised saxophone and piano will set the aural stage for a pioneering dance troupe, and 33 of Haeinsa’s monks will recreate the ultimate minimalist gesture. The surrounding space and intricate architec- ture will come alive with sound and light and envelope you, the audience, beneath the dimming sky.

Chang Soo Park (piano) has Chang Jae Hyo (percussion) Kang Tae Hwan (saxophone) performed and improvised takes artistic liberty with Sam- is another pioneer in the widely in Korea and over 20 ulnuri (traditional rhythm) genre of Korean “free” music, countries, taking a holistic ap- played on the jang-go and and has performed with nu- proach to visual art, dance, Pansori (shamanist singing merous improvisational lumi- theater, and film. He is also technique) to breathe new naries. Mr. Kang is decidedly the founder of a unique and life into the ancient sounds devoted to playing in the mo- intimate house concert series of the peninsula. He currently ment, and creates ethereal, in Seoul which breaks barri- performs with the Sonagi primal tones through punctu- ers between performer and Project, a quintet that has ated breath, bridging sounds audience. Mr. Park has worked performed world-wide and is from free jazz to shamanism. extensively with MUTdance. considered one of the lead- ing groups of the new gen- eration of Korean musicians.

Blake Carrington (audio MUTdance [Kim Young- Hwang Ae Ri (vocals) is a Jiwoong Yoon visuals) presents an audio- hee] (dance) is an exem- skillful singer trained in the (Director). With a back- visual piece developed plary contemporary Ko- traditional Sori style. She ground in visual art and during his month-long rean dance troupe that has is currently experiment- dance, Mr. Yoon has Haein Art Stay residency. performed in countries as ing with new minimal ar- exceptional vision for site- Based on his previous pro- diverse as Laos, Iran, and rangements and electronic specific performance with ject Cathedral Scan, Mr. Mexico among others. effects to augment the tra- an experimental, cross-dis- Carrington manipulates Through a strong empha- ditional style. After winning ciplinary approach. Study- “scans” of Janggyeong sis on the rhythm of breath the grand prize in 2008 ing in the United States, Panjeon (UNESCO World and a graceful combination at the Chunhyang Korean Europe, and Australia, he Heritage Site and deposi- of delicate traditional with Classical Music Festival, has exhibited his art in tory for Tripitaka Koreana) bold modern techniques, Hwang Aeri has gone on to Korea, Italy, USA, and Ven- and transforms the im- MUTdance has formed a produce and direct numer- ezuela. In addition to his agery into digital sounds unique style without adopt- ous projects within Korea. artistic accomplishments, using custom software. ing Western influence. Mr. Yoon has also acted as a cultural events organizer, educational consultant, and progressive DJ.