Ei Arakawa

Inza Lim

An image of a large, open classroom with a grey floor and a slide projector image against the back wall. The image has text in Chinese. A man stands in the center of the room talking into a microphone and addressing people in the foreground in chairs and sitting on the floor. Against the back wall a group of cutouts of figures blown up from photographs lean against the wall. Cardboard, and various papers scatter the floor around the speaker.

An image of a large, open classroom with a grey floor and a slide projector image against the back wall. The image has text in Chinese. A man stands in the center of the room talking into a microphone and addressing people in the foreground in chairs. A group of cutouts of figures blown up from photographs lean against the back wall.

A close up of a man speaking into a microphone and addressing the audience in the classroom as seen in the last couple of images. The man has short grey hair, light brown skin, round black glasses. He is wearing purple pants, a light purple shirt, and a dark green blazer. In the background large cutouts of figures lean against the wall. The audience he is addressing can't be seen in the image.

An image of a classroom with three people in the center. In the middle, we can see the man who has been addressing the class in the last many images. To our left is a younger man with black hair, light brown skin and a bright pink sweatshirt. He is gesturing with one hand while holding a microphone with the other. To our right is a woman speaking into a microphone while looking at the man in the sweatshirt. She has black hair in a pony tail and glasses, and is wearing dark clothing. Behind them cutout figures lean against the wall. On the floor around them are scattered papers and more cutout figures.

A close up of three speakers. The central image is the man who has been addressing the class in the last many images. To our left is a younger man with black hair, light brown skin and a bright pink sweatshirt. To our right is a woman with black hair, glasses and dark clothing. Behind them cutout figures lean against the wall.

In a large room with illuminated bookshelves at the back, a woman in the foreground holds up a painting before her while speaking into a microphone. The microphone is on a tripod. The woman's arms reach around the tripod to hold the painting towards the left corner of the photograph, as if to show an audience we can't see. The woman has long hair, light brown skin and is wearing a maroon sweater and a short black skirt and black tights. The painting is vertically oriented and of medium size. The outer frame is heavy, as if taken from a mirror or window. Attached to the painting is a handheld paint roller. The handle meets the frame of the work perpendicularly and the sponge appears to have just added dark grey paint to the interior. Most of the interior of the painting is dark grey, the upper portion showing a dark grey grid.

A performance view of a large room with light wood floors and florescent lights across the ceiling. To our left, a man is stooping to speak into a microphone while he holds a cutout in front of his face. From this angle we can't see what the cutout's shape is. On our right, a man in a wheelchair holds the cutout of a green couch in front of him and leans slightly against it with his head. In the background the room is filled with people holding cutouts, often of other people moving or dancing or in mid step. The cutouts all appear to come from photographs.

A large room with light wood floors and illuminated bookshelves in the background. In the foreground, the backs of two people's heads are out of focus. In the middle ground, the room is filled with people holding cutout images. The images are taken from photographs and blown up to full scale or just below full scale. One of the first decipherable images is of a man holding or carrying a light wood box. The figure carrying the image is hidden behind the image, and only black pants and black shoes can be seen. Behind and to the right we see a cutout of a woman in traditional Korean dress taken from a black and white photograph. The room probably has 10 or 12 people all holding cutout images of other people.

A large room with light grey floors and a bright ceiling. A woman in the center of the image holds up a cutout of a man holding a box or desk. The woman is speaking into a microphone while holding the cutout in front of her. She has short black hair, light brown skin, a red scarf, a long black coat and black pants. Behind her, a figure in black clothes and green shoes is bending down and waving their arms up as if in mid dance. In the foreground to our left is another tripod with a microphone.

A large, brightly lit room filled with people in winter coats holding up cutouts of figures from photographs. Centered is a young woman in jeans and a black parka holding up a cutout of a man or performer who appears to be jumping or kneeling. His legs are bent and his hands are behind his back. A tall white hat is attached with a cord around his chin. The photograph from the cutout is black and white. To the left a woman in a long black coat holds a cutout of a figure reaching out towards us, but the image is held at an angle and it is not possible to see more. The background of the image is similarly filled with people holding cutouts.

A photograph taken of a brightly lit room with lit bookshelves in the background. In the foreground we see the backs of three heads, as if the image were taken from the second row of an audience. Centered in the image is the head and shoulders of a person in a white hoody and black vest. They are holding a poster up in front of them. On the poster single images are set amidst blocks of text (unreadable even with zoom). Behind the poster, in the back of the room, people holding cutouts appear to be moving or involved in some activity.

A photograph taken from behind the first row of an audience sitting in chairs. We see the backs of four people who are looking out to a brightly lit room with warm wood floors and bookshelves in the background. People in the middle ground are holding up cutouts of figures are are moving and appear involved in a performance.

A photograph taken from behind the first row of an audience sitting in chairs. We see the backs of three people who are looking out to a brightly lit room with warm wood floors and bookshelves in the background. People holding up cutouts of figures are are moving and appear involved in a performance.

People involved in a performance are holding up large cutouts from blown up photographs of people. In the foreground a person holds up the image of a woman. Another woman holds up a cutout figure of a performer in a mask. Behind them is a cutout of a figure who appears to be singing. A person in a wheelchair holds a large cutout of a couch. A person behind them holds a cutout of a man holding a box or desk.

A closer view of performers holding up cutouts of figures from blown up photographs. Centered in the image is a cutout of a performer in a white traditional Japanese or Korean dress, with a whitened face and long black hair. She's reaching forward and her eyes are wide and shocked. To our left is a cutout figure of a person in blue clogs and floral pants who has stage makeup and appears to be singing. To the left is a woman in jeans and a shirt with roses who appears to be lifting a tool up to her hair, maybe about to shave it.

A group of performers in a brightly lit room are obscured by large cutouts of figures that they are holding in front of their bodies. The figures seem to be blown up from many types of images and source materials but often the figures are in action or performing. Two tripods with microphones are in the foreground.

Another view of a group of performers in a brightly lit room are obscured by large cutouts of figures that they are holding in front of their bodies. The figures seem to be blown up from many types of images and source materials but often the figures are in action or performing. Two tripods with microphones are in the foreground.

A group of performers pose for a picture, holding their cutouts to one side and smiling at the camera.

A line of performers with cutouts pose for a picture in an outdoor courtyard or plaza. Behind the performers is a city scene of buildings and signs. Ten people hold life sized cutout figures beside or in front of their bodies as they stand in a row for the picture. On our left is a woman with floral pants who appears to be singing, and next to her, a man in a black hoodie who holds a small cutout of another man in performance of some kind. We can see a woman holding a large cutout of a woman in traditional Korean dress who appears to be singing, a man in a wheelchair holding the cutout of a man lunging while holding a sign, and a man holding up a figure wearing a mask. Next to him, a woman holds the cutout of a woman in traditional dress with her arms raised. The cutout of a man in a suit with a lion or dragon mask completely hides the person holding it, and a man in a winter hat with red antlers is holding the black and white cutout of a man. A woman holds the cutout of two people who appear to be practicing martial arts, and the last person in the line holds a figure of a person in a hard hat whose arms are raised as if firing a rifle.

Another image of a line of performers with cutouts pose for a picture in an outdoor courtyard or plaza. Behind the performers is a city scene of buildings and signs. Ten people hold life sized cutout figures beside or in front of their bodies as they stand in a row for the picture. On our left is a woman with floral pants who appears to be singing, next to her, we see a man in a black hoodie who holds a small cutout of another man in performance of some kind. A woman holds a large cutout of a woman in traditional Korean dress who appears to be singing, and a man in a wheelchair holds the cutout of a man lunging while holding a sign, and next to him, a man holds up a figure wearing a mask. A woman holds the cutout of a woman in traditional dress with her arms raised, and the cutout of a man in a suit with a lion or dragon mask completely hides the person holding it. Next, a man in a winter hat with red antlers holds the black and white cutout of a man, while a woman holds the cutout of two people who appear to be practicing martial arts, and the last person in the line holds a figure of a person in a hard hat whose arms are raised as if firing a rifle.

Ei Arakawa & Inza Lim with Kim DoilThe Unheroed TheatreAsia Culture Center, Gwangju

Exhibition Images

Ei Arakawa & Inza Lim with Kim Doil
The Unheroed TheatreAsia Culture Center, Gwangju