SCREENING SEA BIRTH SELECTIONS

What lies beneath the surface of the sea on the Pacific side of Okinawa? Despite many efforts to erase the past, sea spirits protected by generations of shamanesses can be heard. Part one begins with the story of a still unidentified ship wreck that went down near South Ukibaru Island circa 1876. Based on faint records of an encounter between survivors and Okinawans, the artist enacts rituals in their actual meeting sites. Part two of the story revives a song of unrequited love between lovers living on separate islands trying to find a way to meet. In part three a new life is born from the sea amidst impending threats from military exercises. Together this three-part work weaves historical facts along with personal anecdotes from the artist’s own maritime ancestors within the contemporary realities of Okinawa today.

 

Followed by a discussion with artist, James Jack
Chairperson | Minna Valjakka, National University of Singapore

 

More details:
https://ari.nus.edu.sg/Event/Detail/60154d63-a30d-40a1-955e-77476eec40cd
https://ari.nus.edu.sg/Assets/repository/files/events/PelagicProgramAbstracts_Dec%2011.pdf