Immersive Performance

Introduction of the Arts, Games, and Collisions: Korean Traditional Dramatic Performing Arts X Virtual Space Workshop

Art Collider Lab, the Center for Art Convergence at Korea National University of Arts, held the Arts, Games, and Collider: Korean Traditional Dramatic Performing Arts X Virtual Space Workshop to promote digital media production integrating Korean traditional dramatic performing arts, dance, and technology. Comprising ten sessions, the workshop gathered digital creation beginners to transfer Talchum(a traditional Korean mask dance) movements to virtual space through motion capture and recompose them.
The workshop’s themes included “movements of Korean traditional dramatic performing arts,” “the application of motion capture,” and “virtual reality (VR) space.” In the sessions on the movements of Korean traditional dramatic performing arts, participants rearranged disassembled choreography, composed Talchum performance based on the rearranged movements, and developed unique opinions about significant points for the movements’ implementation. They also generated ideas about how to transfer the choreography into virtual space and recompose it in a virtual environment.
In the sessions on the application of motion capture, Rudolf von Laban’s theory of space harmony was used to inform participants about methods of recording movements and reflecting a sense of direction based on the reporting system in virtual space. They also learned how to use the motion capture device Perception Neuron. Lastly, in the sessions on VR space, participants examined different elements of virtual and real space and various perspectives from the internal and external areas of VR space.
Next, two teams, Axis-to-One and Tinker, were established to perform team-based projects in the middle and late stages of the workshop. Axis-to-One released their artwork, titled Talsoom, which describes the intersection between the body’s inherited memory and the sense of separation felt in virtual space. Tinker unveiled their artwork, titled Hustle, representing the carefree spirit of Talchum and facilitating genuine communication in virtual space.
This workshop provided valuable opportunities for novice digital media producers to explore the movements of Korean traditional dramatic performing arts in a new virtual space environment and experiment with composing choreography in a digital environment and displaying it on the stage. The final results will be reviewed in a mentoring program and officially introduced on the Ars Electronica K’ARTS Festival website.

Associated Professor : Insoo Park(Professor of Korean Traditional Dramatic Performing Arts, K-Arts / Master of Bongsan Talchum)
Mentor : Jee Youn Kim(Technician), Jihwan Jeon(Korean traditional performer), Teri Seo(Choreographer)
Assistant Mentor : Kiryung Nam(Arrddon, Technician), jiyoung Yoo(Choreographer), Heekyung Cho(Choreographer)

“Talsoom” is an immersive VR piece that features the process of observing and learning the traditional and extraordinary movements of Talchum from the perspective of cultural transmitters in reality.
The spaces in this piece, which were created through 3D scans, exist both in reality and in the virtual world.
“Axis-to-one” wants to draw attention to the changes in sensation that take place throughout this journey through an experience in which a realistic space disperses, comes back together, moves into a virtual space, and then encounters the memories of the transmitter’s body in that virtual space.
How can body memories being transmitted and the sense of separation in a virtual space intersect? What can we sense in this process? “Talsoom” starts with these questions and explores how we should look at the memories of today’s bodies.

“Tinkers” believes that Talchum has a carefree spirit that is not tied to any form or convention.
Everyone says that there is communication in digital spaces and that they have created meeting places, but their words seem empty. Since sincere communication and interaction have become more important than ever, is a virtual space not the most suitable place to spread the spirit of Talchum?

“Hustle” has a structure that can connect audiences to virtual performance via web browsers. It aims to provide audiences with a total immersion experience a every moment of the performance, considering the real-time virtual performance, as well as a “path” for watching the real-world performance.

“Tinkers” believes that Talchum has a carefree spirit that is not tied to any form or convention.
Everyone says that there is communication in digital spaces and that they have created meeting places, but their words seem empty. Since sincere communication and interaction have become more important than ever, is a virtual space not the most suitable place to spread the spirit of Talchum?

“Hustle” has a structure that can connect audiences to virtual performance via web browsers. It aims to provide audiences with a total immersion experience a every moment of the performance, considering the real-time virtual performance, as well as a “path” for watching the real-world performance.

Workshop Video