How do the smallest decisions ripple outward, carrying profound impacts that shape our lives?
An otherworldly dance performance and immersive installation across two spaces by Korean, Berlin-based dancer and choreographer Hea Min Jung. code of engagement is a spiritual journey through the liminal spaces between childhood and death, where innocence and finality converge. It reveals how the smallest gestures can carry immense weight, and how life’s complexity unfolds from the simplest of acts.
code of engagement draws from two pivotal moments from Hea Min Jung’s life. A childhood memory of a game where rubber bands and movement are used to create intricate patterns, and a deeply personal tragedy: the suicide of Jung’s grandfather, who used a thin rope tied to objects and furniture in his bedroom.
Drawing on principles of movement inspired by Korean shamanic rituals, and using geometric patterns of elastic lines, tactile surfaces, and multi-dimensional layers of sound, Jung creates a transcendental journey. She establishes a profound connection not only with the audience but also with the “Other”: the unseen, animistic forces and ancestral spirits that shape existence.
What audiences say about code of engagement:
“An unconventional and experimental form of performance that made the audience part of the choreography.”
“What might have seemed eerie or strange in other contexts was executed with such precision that it transcended any discomfort, becoming utterly impressive and beautiful.”
The work of Berlin-based Korean choreographer Hea Min Jung stems from the belief that there is no experience that is not embodied—all experiences are fundamentally rooted in the body. The body serves as an opening to existence, a gateway through which a person engages with the world.
Cast and Creatives
- Artist / Director / Producer: Hea Min Jung
- Sound: James Whipple (M.E.S.H)
- Performer: Hea Min Jung
- Installation Assistance: Eun-Seok Lee
- Costume: Nagi Gianni
- Film: Mother Offline, Bickmann & Kolde GbR