Experimental TV Opera 'Fire Heart' to be Performed Online on the 15th in Korea, New York, Israel, and More

Selected Works of the '2020 Online Media Arts Activity Support Project'

'Dear Diary' scene during the 'Fire Heart' performance.

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghyun Choi] The experimental TV opera "Fire Heart," which explores a new approach to non-face-to-face online performances in the COVID-19 era, will be performed online on the 15th, centered around Korea, New York, and Israel.

"Fire Heart" is a sequel to "The Weather Channel," which was performed online in May last year. This performance is influenced by Korean makjang dramas and the fin-de-si?cle sensibility of the 1990s. It was also selected for the "2020 Online Media Arts Activity Support Project," sponsored by the Korea Arts & Culture Education Service, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture.

The performance presents a makjang drama reinterpreted from an artistic perspective, based on the story of revenge, love, and sacrifice involving a virtual weathercaster named "Sharp" who falls in love with and is betrayed by a "cyborg girl."

The background and scenes of the performance metaphorically express the lives of modern people living in contemporary society. The setting, where everyone is trapped at home consuming media to avoid the maddening sunlight, resembles the reality of spending most of the day at home due to COVID-19. The awkward conversations between virtual characters and humans and the loosely connected fragmented scenes symbolize communication and disconnection between the real and virtual worlds.

This performance showcases the potential of a new art genre adapted to the online environment. In the "Pre-show" delivered to the audience before the main performance, viewers receive simple instructions such as lighting candles and preparing food. They decorate their viewing environment as a bunker in the dystopian world of "Fire Heart," effectively turning it into a kind of performance stage.

Additionally, the audience watches a second video on their mobile phones simultaneously with the main video on their computer monitors or TVs, providing a three-dimensional experience. This two-channel video implementation breaks down the boundary between the performance and the audience, as the second screen (mobile phone) suddenly initiates private conversations with viewers. Through these attempts, "Fire Heart" transforms the private spaces of the audience? the main viewing locations for online performances?into exhibition and performance spaces, offering comfort to viewers exhausted by the COVID-19 situation.

Composed of images and music that traverse fantasy and reality, this performance is a collaboration centered on Israeli experimental musician and pop singer Chanan Ben Simon and video artist Baein Kyung, along with domestic musicians Aeri and videographer Go Dong-gwan.

Chanan Ben Simon and Baein Kyung were born in Israel and Korea, respectively, and graduated from the MFA program in Performance & Interactive Media Arts at Brooklyn College, USA. They are multimedia artists currently active mainly in Brooklyn, Korea, and Israel. Baein Kyung, responsible for illustration, animation, and video, and Chanan Ben Simon, in charge of sound, vocals, composition, and lyrics, continue their creative activities as a duo producing strange yet warm works.

Their previous works include the TV opera "The Weather Channel," the community workshop and live performance "Dream Data," invited to the Andis Summer Playhouse in New Hampshire, USA, and "The Dino Show," selected for the Circular City Week New York at the Bellwether Gallery in New York and the Seoul EMAP International Competition section.

The performance is free and will be held twice, at 9 PM on the 15th and 2 AM on the 16th (Korean time). Those wishing to watch can reserve free or donation tickets through the ticket platform Eventbrite.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.