Pioneers: From AG to Kaidu

The opening programme focuses on pioneering works from the 1960s and 1970s including Kim Ku-lim’s The Meaning of 1/24 Second 1969, considered the first experimental film work from Korea and Lee Ik-tae’s From Morning To Evening 1970, considered the first Korean independent film. Working under restrictive political conditions, state censorship and with limited access to equipment or resources, artists either had to self-organise – through groups such as Avant-Garde (A.G.) and cinepoem coterie 시네·포엠 동인회 1964, The Fourth Group / 4집단 1970 and Moving Image Research Group 映像研究會영상연구회 1973 or work within the academy – such as women’s filmmaker group Kaidu 카이두 founded at the Ewha Womans University in the 1970s.

The Fourth Group aspired to create ‘happenings’, a synthesis of fine art, music, film, theatre and dance. Founded on 20 June 1970 The Fourth Group united a diverse group of from visual artists and filmmakers included Ku-lim Kim, Chan-sung Chong, Ka-ji Bang, Kangja Jung, Kuk-jin Kang, Pong-hyon Choi, Ik-tae Lee, fashion designer Son Il-gwang, journalist Yi Cha-gyong, scriptwriter Kim Chung-ong and the monk Sokyajong. In July 1972 Ik-tae Lee formed the Moving Image Research Forum with Hyun-joo Kim, Hwang-lim Lee and Sang-cheon Park that consisted mainly of university students influenced by French New Wave and New American Cinema. Han Ok-hi and Jeomseon Kim made the experimental films A Hole 1973 and Film 73 1973 that premiered at the fourth screening event organised by Moving Image Research Forum and later they went on to form the Kaidu group of women filmmakers in 1974.

Despite these activities the 1970s proved to be a difficult time for many artists in Korea following the declaration of martial law by the South Korean president Park Chung-hee that lasted from 1972 to 1979. During this time various artists began to turn to performance art as a means of realising work, often utilising film and photography as a medium to record and document their actions. Most prominent in the generation who turned to performance in this period was Lee Kun-yong who realised over 50 performance events between 1975 to 1979.

Followed by discussion with Kim Ku-lim  

Korean Alphabet
김인태/In-tae Kim, Canada 1967, 16mm colour, sound, 7 min 15 sec 

1/24초의 의미/The Meaning of 1/24 Second
김구림/Kim Ku-Lim, Korea 1969, 16mm, color, silent, 11 min  

아침과 저녁사이/ From Morning To Evening
이익태 /Lee Ik Tae, Korea 1970, 16mm, black & white, sound, 20 min 

Secret Spill 
차학경/Teresa Hak Kyung Cha, 1974 USA, video, black and white, sound, 27 min

Event Logical
이건용 / Lee Kun-yong, 1975 Korea, Super 8mm transferred to video, colour, silent, 12 min 10 sec 

색동/Color of Korea 
한옥희/Han Ok-hi, 1976 Korea, 16mm, colour, sound, 7 min 29 sec 

Programme duration: 85 min