FLORA CHOI

"Upbraiding Tradition"- Written in The Korean Times today

2011-09-23T16:12:00.000-04:00

Upbraiding Tradition was written up by The Korean Times today. The article talks about how my performance piece is a contemporary view to Korea's cultural construct and a symbolism for breaking the traditional role of Korean women in Korea.

Upbraiding Tradition will be performed October 1st and October 8th, 1pm-3pm along 14th street. Opening reception: September 30, 6pm. At the Theatherlab.

Featured on Art In Odd Places blog!

2011-09-16T13:33:00.000-04:00

Recently, I've been featured on Art In Odd Places blog!
Check it out!
Art In Odd Places Blog

Upbraiding Tradition

2011-08-13T15:06:00.001-04:00

My current work, Upbraiding Tradition was shortly performed this past Wednesday, starting from Parsons New School to Union Square, 14th street. I received many different reactions to the performance that day. Someone thought that we were "geishas", and we had some men come up to us and ask if our hair was real and that it was beautiful. That's exactly the reaction I hoped for. I guess, whether we're in the twenty-first century, or the Pre-Silla Dynasty, long hair will always be considered a sexual or a "beautiful" thing. I had many people at Union Square take photos of the performance, and someone actually stood behind me without me knowing, and posed for a photo. Some people thought the performance had to do with some kind of religion, which in some way it is.

In October, during the Art In Odd Places Ritual festival, Upbraiding Tradition will consist of 10 young women, and the performance will start from Avenue C. The dates and times for the performance will be October 1st and the 8th, 1pm-2pm.

Upbraiding Tradition

2011-06-26T00:20:00.002-04:00

Performance outfit for Upbraiding Tradition

Korean silk socks, and a 12" fabric scissor that will be used for Upbraiding Tradition

Braided 5 foot wig in a Tanggi-muhlee style. All 10 performers will wear this.

This October, I will be a part of Art In Odd Places arts festival. Each year Art In Odd Places propose a theme, and hundreds of artists apply. Guest curators and the arts organization team then narrow it down to a selective group. The group consists of performance artists, sculptors, and installations. The festival happens every year from the Hudson River to Avenue C, along 14th street. This year's theme was "Ritual".

For the festival, my piece will be a ceremony which will consist of a group of ten young Korean women who have grown up within a male dominated cultural family. These women will be dressed in traditional Korean white gowns called Sang-boks and each woman's hair will be tied into a Tanggi-Muhlee braid that drags upon the ground behind her.

The performance will take place along 14^th street, beginning from Avenue C to the Hudson River, where the women will walk slowly in a single line. As they walk, each woman's Tanggi-Muhlee braid will leave behind trail of charcoal dust. Viewers of the performance may follow or trace this black stream-like path to the Hudson riverbank.

Once the ten performers reach the Hudson River, they will join the artist in the next part of the ritual. I will present each of the women with a very large pair of scissors. Using the scissors, each woman will chop off her Tanggi-Muhlee braid and place it in a large glass jar to preserve it. Then, the ten women will embark on a journey back to Avenue C, carrying their braids as trophies or relics of the past.

(Here is the website to Art In Odd Places: http://www.artinoddplaces.org/ )

2011-06-25T23:49:00.001-04:00

All the Single Ladies, Synthetic hair, red silk ribbons, 2' x 3', 2011

All the Single Ladies, close up

2011-06-25T23:45:00.003-04:00

Tanggi-Muhlee Kites, Etching on BFK paper, 8"x 10", 2011

Untitled, Sketch, ink on paper, 4"x6", 2011

Untitled, Etching on BFK paper, 5"x7", 2011

2011-06-25T17:50:00.002-04:00


Larger sketch version, Marker and paper, 4"x 36", 2010

Tanggi-Muhlee, Etching on BFK, 8"x 10", 2011

Tanggi-Muhlee Crochet, 4"x6", Canvas, thread, 2010

Self-portrait, Synthetic hair, Red silk ribbon, 2"x 24", 2011

Sketches

2011-06-25T17:38:00.002-04:00

NEW WORK COMING SOON!

2011-06-17T12:26:00.001-04:00

So, for the past 9 months I have been working on new body work.
Sherie Rose is currently in a "coma" right now, so while she is in that state,
I have been planning a different project. This project will be uploaded soon so stay tuned!

RECENT PROJECT: "Sherie Rose and Her Potential Mother" Series

2010-10-05T02:05:00.033-04:00

FLORA CHOI

Sherie Rose and Her Potential Mother No. 6

August 2010

Performance

Seoul, Korea

FLORA CHOI

Sherie Rose and Her Potential Mother No. 27

August 2010

Performance

Seoul, Korea

FLORA CHOI

Sherie Rose and Her Potential Mother No. 1

August 2010

Performance

Seoul, Korea

FLORA CHOI

Sherie Rose and Her Potential Mother No.12

August 2010

Performance

Seoul, Korea

FLORA CHOI

Sherie Rose and Her Two Potential Mothers No. 8 and No. 4

August 2010

Performance

Seoul, Korea

FLORA CHOI

Sherie Rose Browsing

August 2010

Performance

Seoul, Korea

Commencement: May 2010, Decker Gallery, MICA

2010-10-05T01:10:00.000-04:00

Deluding Reality: Imagination Infringements of Sherie Rose- Opening Reception

2010-03-15T05:22:00.009-04:00

Deluding Reality: Imagination Infringements of Sherie Rose

2010-03-15T05:11:00.003-04:00

Deluding Reality: Imagination Infringements of Sherie Rose

The exhibition is now up at Maryland Institute College of Art in the Gateway building, Gallery 2.
The show will be up from March 8- April 2, 2010.
Opening Reception: March 11, 2010 5-7pm

FLORA CHOI

2009-12-01T23:41:00.005-05:00

PLEASE CLICK ON THE IMAGES TO ENLARGE IT

Current Work

2009-11-20T21:13:00.006-05:00

I am currently working on building large installation. It is going to be a octagonal room using only doors as wall support. The installation space will contain similar objects and furniture that were part of my last years installation piece. The project will be a continuation of my Sherie Rose project. These are just my progress photos. This construction should be finished by the beginning of December.

2009-03-26T10:05:00.007-04:00

I've been researching on artists that could inspire me to further my project on Sherie Rose. And I came upon this really awesome artist Edward Kienholz. Some of his art works do not relate to what I am trying to portray, but some pieces such as the image above relate to my work. I am having a hard time trying to bring in Sherie Rose's character into my installation without having her to be there in person. I used to perform as Sherie Rose, a women stuck in the 1990s, who has an obsession with a made up family. The problem with my performance was that no one was there at the studio building when I was there as Sherie Rose. And when people looked at my installation piece they could not relate the space to a certain character. Some people told me that they would've never known that a character named Sherie Rose performed there at certain times. They thought that the space was an area to give a nostalgic feeling.

This whole project has been going on for about a whole semester now, and it's been progressing, but progressing slowly. My project is about transformation and obsession. As I started this project, slowly I have become a director. At first there was only a space. Which was complied with Sherie's collections, photographs of people in antique frames, a fancy wall paper, a rug, a table with a type writer and a screen where Sherie hung her clothes. And this became a theatrical space, the stage. And when I performed as Sherie Rose, I had become the actor on stage.

Recently, I have been video taping myself as Sherie Rose. I will be screening her in my installation at all times so that people could meet her any time, not just when I am there to perform. And now my aspect of filming, is an act of an director. Maybe this is why so many people have been comparing my work to several directors or movies. Although I don't want to be compared to movies, because then my space would only remind people of that movie set, I still think it's interesting how they interpret my work.

hmm

2009-03-25T02:32:00.000-04:00

So, it's been a really long time since I wrote anything.
I just keep forgetting to write something on my blog.
I've been extremely busy lately. As soon as winter break ended it was meetings and event coordination after another. It's been a really packed and busy semester.
It's now only 2 months away from the end of the semester and I'm actually kind of scared.
Next year I'll be a senior!! It's too soon! I'm not ready!!
This year went by so quickly, but I had a lot more memorable times this year. :)
I just hope everything works out well for me during the summer.

I'm kind of waiting for this week to be over. I have a group presentation tomorrow, and I can't wait for that to be over. And plus I have a painting due Thurs, which I haven't started. My teacher assigned it so that we could work on it during our spring break, but I didn't have time to work on it cause I went home for break. I'm kind of doomed for Thursday. Sigh... I guess I'll just be up all night tomorrow. The painting will probably turn out crappy... but... I guess better than nothing.
I just can't wait till Friday~ I get to just playy~~ hahah
This weekend, I'm looking forward to a party, a hiking trip, and a play with a special someone. Then next weekend I'm looking forward to a day in DC for the Cherry Blossom Festival, a performance at Coffee House, and watching an orchestra at the Symphony Center with that special someone :)

And then I'm sure finals will hit me.. and I probably won't have time to hang out...
Plus starting next week, I'll be starting my internship again. Instead of going Thurs and fridays like last semester, I'm just going to go on Tuesdays from 10-3pm. Tuesdays are going to be my busiest day. Internship from 10- 3pm. Class from 4-6:45, then work study from 7pm-10:30pm.
Oh boy....

2009-01-17T13:40:00.000-05:00

Today is the day Obama makes his train trip from Philadelphia to Washington D.C.
How exciting!! Wish I was there in Baltimore to witness it but, unfortunately I'm still stuck in NY... I'll be leaving for Baltimore either tonight or tomorrow morning. I still haven't started packing.. hmm better get started on that. I'm actually not looking forward to going back though... only because it's going to be FREEZING in my apt. I wish heating was free. sigh.
Well, tomorrow is the inauguration concert, and I'm contemplating on whether I should go or not. The weather tomorrow is going to be cold, with snow showers. Is it really worth standing outside for 10 hours to see Beyonce, Denzel Washington and others for free??

Yesterday,Andrew Wyeth passed away at age 91. People say he passed away in his sleep.RIP Andrew Wyeth.
One of his most famous painting was the painting called Christina's World (1948)