Wind-Folk Amusement

The reenactment of Seung-taek Lee’s acclaimed 1971 performance will give form to the transient elements of nature.

In partnership with Canal Projects, Hudson River Park is excited to present a reenactment of Korean avant-garde artist Seung-taek Lee’s (b. 1932) Wind-Folk Amusement. Lee’s acclaimed 1971 performance gives form to the transient elements of nature. First enacted on Nanji Island on the Han River in Seoul, this NYC iteration will be led by the collaborative duo, Korean-American artists: A young Yu and Nicholas Oh.

The intention of the performance is to present a new mode of artistic existence by giving discernable form to invisible air. Through the wavering of long strands of red fabric, A young Yu, Nicholas Oh and other collaborators including Mudang Jenn, will orchestrate a choreography that reveals natural and spiritual phenomena.

Seung-taek Lee (b. 1932) has gained national and international recognition as a celebrated experimental artist for his development of non-materialistic and non-sculptural concepts which manifest in his practice as a rejection of existing ideas and orders. Many of Lee’s works reflect back on Korean shamanic lore in their attempt to form a practice rooted in folklore and traditional objects. Lee’s works are in numerous collections including, among others, Tate Modern, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul (MMCA), Seoul Museum of Art, Rachofsky Collection and the Museum of Contemporary Art Sydney.

A young Yu & Nicholas Oh are a collaborative duo based in New York. A young Yu (b. 1990) received her MFA from Columbia University. She has exhibited at venues including the Museum of Art and Design, Christie’s Inc, Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts, LeRoy Neiman Gallery, Time Square Space, the Jewish Museum and more. Nicholas Oh (b. 1985) received his MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. He has exhibited at venues including RISD Museum, Smithsonian, Museum of Art and Design, Christie’s Inc., Spring/Break Art Show and more.

Canal Projects is a non-profit arts organization dedicated to supporting a wide range of diverse and forward-thinking international artists. Through research and production of new artworks we provide a generative space to nurture and promote artists at pivotal moments in their careers, granting them the space and resources necessary for greater creativity, experimentation and risk-taking.
Visit canalprojects.org for further details.

Canal Projects is generously supported by the YS Kim Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization that provides general support grants and implements innovative programs to help underrepresented and emerging artists and their communities thrive. YS Kim Foundation envisions a world where people and communities grow and flourish with culture, creativity, opportunities, and connection. Its mission is to support, mobilize, and open new pathways of success for artists, children, young leaders, communities, and organizations. It does this by starting new initiatives and providing grants and scholarships to organizations and students.