GHOST ROOTS: A New 강강술래 Ganggangsullae Opening at Pao Arts Center
Photo Still: GHOST ROOTS: A New Ganggangsullae, credit Albert Wong
Boston, MA- Pao Arts Center presents GHOST ROOTS: A New 강강술래Ganggangsullae, a new site-specific installation by multi-media artist Soyoung L. Kim, inspired by her performance art film of the same name. Designed as a complimentary experience to the film (originally released in spring 2022), the site-specific installation combines visual elements, audio stories, and interactive components for audiences to explore. The opening night of the exhibition on September 22 will feature a screening of the 16 min film, and a conversation between Kim and curator gallery owner Yng-Ru Chen of Praise Shadows Arts Gallery.
GHOST ROOTS tells the stories of two Asian American women through audio, visual, and bodily movements that evoke care and celebration and the possibility of a future of solidarity. Through this interactive exhibit, Kim asks, “Can America’s attempt at reconciliation/Extend beyond black and white?/Can America’s embrace include/The yellow of my skin?”
“It’s important for me to be collaborating on GHOST ROOTS with Pao Arts Center. This project began during the pandemic when so many Asian Americans were experiencing violence and hate, when it felt imperative for Asian Americans to share our stories and to reclaim our histories. I’m excited to share my Korean immigrant story in Chinatown, a historically vibrant community for Asian and Asian Americans in Boston.” – Soyoung L. Kim, GHOST ROOTS
Director of Pao Arts Center Cynthia Woo shares, “We are excited to collaborate with Soyoung to bring her multimedia project film project to our gallery. In a time where many of us are thinking through our own place in American society, bringing the content and questions from the film to our space, gives many more the opportunity to question and consider these very important questions together in community.”
Reception, Screening, and Talk: Thursday, September 22, 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Pao Arts Center, 99 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02111
On view: September 22 – December 3, 2022
Pao Arts Center, 99 Albany Street Boston, MA 02111
Gallery Hours:
Wednesdays 1:00 - 5:00 pm
Thursdays 1:00 - 7:00 pm
Fridays 1:00 - 5:00 pm
Saturdays 1:00 – 5:00 pm
Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays: Closed
Pao Arts Center invites all community members and art lovers to join us for the opening reception event and gallery visits. For more information, go to: https://www.paoartscenter.org/events/2022/ghostroots.
GHOST ROOTS: A New 강강술래 Ganggangsullae, the film is made possible by a Live Arts Boston grant from the Boston Foundation. This exhibition at Pao Arts Center is supported by Nancy Wang Adams and Scott Schoen.
About the Artist:
Kim’s work blends together several practices, including painting, sculpture, writing, stop-motion animation, and performance. Her work is influenced by her own childhood of constant migration and displacements, and the many stories she has gathered over the three continents she has called home. Kim’s work aims to transport us to a place of liberation, where we are free from colonization and the burdens of racism, fear, and hate.