Multimedia Ritual Performance: Dialogues Between Cinema and Korean Shamanism

“Mu-dang's Cinematic Shrine” is a multimedia installation that is the result of a convergence of two different methodologies and explorations: cinema and Muism - Korean shamanism. This convergence makes apparent the recent divergence of forms and themes in my art practice since beginning my MAA Program. My thesis essay investigates three main concepts: 1. how medium and message are integrated to evoke a sense of numinosity and the liminality associated with the life-death continuum; 2. what my role is, as an artist, in creating a transformative space and language; and 3. how the space and form of my cinematic installation enhances audience interactivity, vis-à-vis the conventional cinematic apparatus. For this inquiry, I juxtapose the role of an artist to that of a Korean shaman, a mu-dang. My role as a media artist mimics a mu-dang’s spiritual role and ability: the channeling and creation of perceptual transformation and the facilitating of alternative storytelling. This idea and practice is informed by the experimental and sociopolitical cinema of Trinh T. Minh-ha and the experimental multi-media installation, performance, and theories of Theresa Hak Kyung Cha. Their theoretical investigations and writing on time, space, memory, identity, and language have influenced and inspired my own critical thinking and media production. This thesis essay intertwines their practice and theory with my own art practice in a ritualistic multi-media exploration.