21 — 25.05
The surprising flavour of seaweed soup, the sharp sound of a knife slicing cucumber, the hiss and sizzle of mushrooms on a scorching fire. With Haribo Kimchi, we find ourselves in a pojangmacha, a typical late-night snack bar seen on the streets of South Korea. There, we meet three characters—a snail, a gummy bear, and an eel—who take us on a culinary journey, exploring food as a shelter for those estranged from their roots. In a series of intimate and absurd anecdotes, they recount the evolution of kimchi culture, the bitter pain of unadulterated racism, the shame of desperate attempts to blend in with the crowd, and the indescribable umami taste of home.
Following the success of his Hamartia Trilogy (2021), which delved into the far-reaching imperialism in East Asia, South Korean theatre maker and composer Jaha Koo returns to Kunstenfestivaldesarts. His patented hybrid style combines music, video, and robotic performers to craft a reflection on cultural assimilation with all its conflicts and paradoxes. In a gripping performance that plays with all the senses, he serves up personal stories marinated in sweet-and-sour melancholy.
21.05
- 20:00
- + aftertalk
22.05
- 21:00
23.05
- 19:00
24.05
- 16:00
- 20:00
25.05
- 16:00
Presentation: Kunstenfestivaldesarts, Le Rideau
Concept, text, direction, music, sound and video: Jaha Koo | Performance: Gona, Haribo, Eel, Jaha Koo and two guests | Dramaturgy: Dries Douibi | Scenography, research collaboration and media operation: Eunkyung Jeong | Artistic advice: Pol Heyvaert | Technical coordination: Korneel Coessens | Technicians: Bart Huybrechts, Babette Poncelet, Jasse Vergauwe | Production coordination: Wim Clapdorp | English proofreading: Jason Wrubell | Snail animation: Vincent Lynen
Production: CAMPO | Coproduction: Kunstenfestivaldesarts, Le Rideau, Theater Utrecht, SPRING Performing Arts Festival, Festival d’Automne à Paris, Théâtre de la Bastille, Tangente St-Pölten, & Espoo Theatre, Kampnagel International Summer Festival, Sophiensaele, Meet You Festival, Bunker, National Theatre and Concert Hall Taipei, Divine Comedy International Theatre Festival, Perpodium
With the support of the Tax Shelter of the Belgian Federal Government via Cronos Invest and the Government of Flanders
Performances in Brussels with the support of the Korean Cultural Center of Brussels
The prototype of the eel was developed as part of Innovation:Lab’s funnel in coproduction with Theater Utrecht and creative technologists Adriaan Wormgoor and Willem Vooijs
