Resonance at the Kunstverein
BY SHELLY SCHOENSHOEFER
Both artist Jeewi Lee and artist/
composer Ayumi Paul came together
for an exhibition/performance piece
at the Kunstverein this summer. Jeewi
Lee was born in Korea but works out
of Berlin, and Ayumi Paul was born in
Germany to a Japanese mother. They
both illustrate how people with roots
in the East differ from those from
the West in how they see the world.
At one point Jeewi Lee described this
difference in very concrete teams. She
said when people from Europe look at
a picture of an elephant, they describe
what the elephant looks like. Thoughts
like the age of the elephant, what the
skin looks like, and even reflections
on how the elephant feels will be
contemplated. However, the person
from Asia sees something drastically
different. This person will describe the
position of the elephant, what is to
the left, to the right, and behind it. The
environment is more important, and
the outer influences on the elephant.
As I gazed at Jeewi Lee’s work, I tried
to put myself in her mind’s eye to get
an understanding of where she was
coming from. Instead of looking at the
entire piece, my eyes traveled from
one point to the next and determined
each unit of the art piece and how it
reflected on the closest objects.
Both Jeewi Lee and Ayumi Paul
discussed their thoughts on the topic
of resonance, such as the concept of
an echo as a starting point. They also
discussed their differences. Ayumi
Paul then invited us to first listen to
and then partake in a ritual called
Tears and Waters. She used her
voice and a drum that she created
during the corona times. We listened
to her breathing and singing, giving
the effect of being in some other
world. We then needed to exhale into
water bottles and take them home
and put that energy on some plant
that needed extra care. I can say I
loved the experience, which seemed
very appropriate to these corona
times. Both artists showed how the
quarantine restrictions actually made
them more creative. The Kunstverein
has more events coming up, and if I
were you, I would not miss them.
Jeewi Lee #Unfinished-Ashes to Ashes.
Jeewi Lee #Unfinished-Traces. All photos by Shelly Schoenshoefer.
Ayumi Paul performing Tears and Water.
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