Ji-Young Kim | Seoul Institute of the Arts

a live, non-verbal performance that reimagines Korean classical painting through contemporary performance

Named after the Korean word for “knot,” maedeup evokes the weaving together of image, movement, sound, and memory. Inspired by the visual world of Shin Yun-bok (Hyewon), an18th-century Korean painter renowned for his portrayals of women and everyday life, the work unfolds without spoken text. Foley performance, tableau vivant, live visuals, and live camera work transform his paintings into living, time-based events in which body, sound, and image converge in real time. Created by KNOT and produced by the Seoul Institute of the Arts with support from the Kansong Art and Culture Foundation, the production offers an encounter with Korean visual heritage beyond language and cultural boundaries.

This project is an institutional initiative by the Seoul Institute of the Arts, developed to foster meaningful cross-cultural exchange through contemporary performance rooted in Korean traditional arts and cultural heritage. Led by Professor Ji-young Kim, a faculty member in the School of Performance, the project brings together a group of professional performers affiliated with the institution to present Woven: The Colors of Shin Yoon-bok at La MaMa. Kim JiYoung is a Korean theatre director, performer, and educator whose artistic practice embraces interdisciplinary collaboration, with a recent focus on connecting tradition and contemporary expression.