Agony in Lines: Performance
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World-premiere performance of Sunny Kim’s new vocal works joined by collaborators and the University of Melbourne Jazz and Improvisation students.
Agony in Lines reimagines the Grainger Museum as a sanctuary of reconnection. Part installation, part performance, part communal artmaking, this exhibition invites the surrounding communities to the Grainger Museum – an iconic yet somewhat prohibitive space - to engage in connecting with self and others through the practice of radical listening.
Facilitated by the composer, improviser, and vocalist Sunny Kim and her collaborators – Katie Stackhouse (sculpture), Sung Hyun Sohn (photography), Kyungwon Kim (motion graphics), Janette Hoe (dance), and Pat Telfer (sound design) – visitors are invited to participate in the multifaceted and embodied exploration of the dichotomy of a traumatic experience as a cause of isolation as well as a catalyst for post-traumatic growth and reconnections.
As installed and performed sounds, movements, images, and objects uncover Percy Grainger’s traumatic life stories, the Grainger Museum transforms itself into a safe ground for the communal sharing of agony to open the possibility of a deeper belonging.
Visitors will also be able to experience the exhibited multidisciplinary works of Sunny Kim’s collaborators, Katie Stackhouse, Sung Hyun Sohn, and Kyungwon Kim before and after the performance.
The University of Melbourne Jazz and Improvisation Vocal Ensemble includes Yasmin Naval-Thomas, Bridget Allan, Francesca Fimeri, Oscar Phipps, Hamish Thompson, Louie Marshall, Clyde Saniga, Dominic Scott, Billie Raffety, Anja Duiker, Ava McDermott, Rory Newman-Foote, Anthony Probyn.
About Sunny Kim
Sunny Kim is a Korean-born composer, improviser, and vocalist based in Melbourne, Australia. Her artistic practice is informed by her experiences as a global nomad, which inspire her to seek meaningful connections to people, culture, and place through self-discovery, deep listening, and collaboration. A recipient of the LIG Artist grant (2011) and twice awarded Best Vocalist by Jazz People's Magazine Reader's Poll (2012-13), Kim has released five albums as a leader and lectures in Jazz and Improvisation at the University of Melbourne. Through her innovative approach to vocal performance and collaboration with a diverse range of artists, Kim continues to push the boundaries of artistic expression to create immersive, transformative experiences for audiences worldwide.
About Katie Stackhouse
Katie Stackhouse explores the interconnection of living systems, ceremony, and materiality through sculpture, performance, and video. Recent works create spatial atmospheres referring to specific sites. Stackhouse completed a Master of Contemporary Art in 2021 and exhibited in various shows worldwide. Her upcoming projects include a solo exhibition and a sculpture installation in collaboration with composer Sunny Kim. Stackhouse has received numerous grants and her works are held in private collections globally.
About Sung Hyun Sohn
Sung Hyun Sohn is a Korean-born documentary photographer whose works delve into the transnational Koreans' history, society, and economy. With a BFA, MFA from Joong Ang University and an MFA in visual arts from Rutgers University, Sohn has exhibited in over 90 global shows. Sohn also lectures on documentary photography, cultural anthropology, transnationalism, and North American culture. He is the recipient of the Ilwoo Photography Award (2022) and the Onbit Documentary Photography Prize (2023).
About Kyungwon Kim
Kyungwon Kim is a celebrated graphic designer and design educator, presently serving as an assistant professor at Dongseo University's Department of Digital Media Design. His diverse portfolio includes printed and screen-based media, reflecting his multidisciplinary approach. Kim values creative expression in design and prioritizes educating individuals on communication and design methodology.
About Patrick Telfer
Patrick Telfer is a composer, producer and recording engineer working out of Melbourne on a wide array of musical and interdisciplinary creative projects. Pat is the senior technical coordinator of the Brian Brown Studios at the Victorian College of the Arts and works collaboratively to produce jazz and contemporary classical albums for some of the country’s most significant artists as well as some of the brightest upcoming talent. Patrick has also spent many years working with young children in musical contexts, and in all aspects of his work he takes pride in creating expansive artistic experiences and creative outcomes.
About Janette Hoe
Janette Hoe is a Melbourne-based dance artist and designer working across embodied movement,drawing and photomontage. Her performance practice is grounded in the dance-theatre artform of Butoh, and a sensorial approach informed by Eastern and Western somatic, movement-based improvisation modalities. Shaped by personal stories of migration, her works explore the liminal space of shifting identities and multiple belongings. Dance Australia Critics Survey nominated Janette ‘Dancer to Watch’ for her full length works No Candles Please (2006) and moths are calling (2014).