MIDDELBURG.- The practice of Jae Pil Eun draws on personal and intergenerational memories and experiences, traditional ritual practices that face erasure as a result of colonialism, as well as mythologies and their representations. Touching upon topics such as mortality, the nature–culture divide, and magic, the work unfolds through performance, music, writing and installations, which are often carefully brought into dialogue with one another.

In Red Celebration, his first institutional solo exhibition in the Netherlands, Jae Pil Eun questions the dominant Western bias of high versus low, and advocates for living in close connection with the earth over the persistent human desire for elevation.

Following a residency period at Vleeshal, during which the artist developed new work on site, the exhibition takes the form of a site-specific installation centered around the figure of a snake–seen as a symbol of transformation which, by anatomy, is as close to the earth as possible.

During the opening event, the installation—comprising a large-scale ceramic floor work alongside several architectural interventions—will be activated through the durational performance Lower Being. Executed by the artist and two performers through choreography and song, the performance positions vulnerability and inclination as the essence of transformation and the formation of community. Or, more simply put, as the lyrics of the accompanying song proclaim: “we gather on the ground.”

Red Celebration, curated by Martha Jager, runs from June 15 to September 7 and opens on June 14 with a performance by Jae Pil Eun. The exhibition will be accompanied by a public program and includes a launch of Jae Pil Eun’s self-published book Elemental Magic: Earth, Water, Fire, Air.

Jae Pil Eun (b. 1991) is a writer and performance artist based in Amsterdam and Korea. His practice encompasses performances, music, writing, and installations, and explores mythologies that diverge from or challenge the singular narrative of Western society. His work has been included in exhibitions and performance programs at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, If I Can’t Dance I Don’t Want To Be A Part of Your Revolution and PuntWG among others.