35/ Peony

2017
By Isa Ho
Duration: 7:36 min.
Recommended by Sean C.S. Hu

How does this work investigate “hope?”
Isa Ho pits the historical background of traditional Chinese Kunqu Opera against the contemporary K-pop phenomenon which has swept the world. A delicate similarity between the two genres was presented via this juxtaposition. The artist uses her work to rethink the role and position of women in contemporary society, in relations to the unique development of popular culture. Despite the differences in temporal and spatial backdrops, the performance styles between the two genres did not transform over time.

About the work:
A new Asian woman has risen along with the wave of K-pop. K-pop has taken the world by storm including Europe and the United States while having an unprecedented impact on young people of Taiwan. However, Korean popular culture has reached further than just the young, as seen with fans of Korean dramas and movies that span across different age groups. The rise of the Korean Wave is in part due to support and efforts exerted by the South Korean government, but I believe the shift in Asian women’s self-awareness also plays a critical role.

Some of the K-pop dance moves seem awkward and bizarre to artist, reminding her of experiences she’s had watching traditional Chinese opera, and there seems to be a distance felt due to lack of understanding. With one coming from the previous generation and the other from the younger generation, here she is standing in the midst of them. As she tries to further grasp the genre, the more she feels that K-pop resembles traditional Chinese opera. After more in-depth analyses of K-pop gestures, poses, attitudes, and compositions of its dance moves, she is convinced that there is something more profound that is embodied in this phenomenon.