Presented by La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club

September 24 - 27, 2026

The Downstairs Theatre at La MaMa

(66 E 4th St., New York, NY 10003)

Tickets: Free Admission (RSVP Required)

TICKETS

A live, non-verbal performance that reimagines Korean classical painting through contemporary performance

Named after the Korean word for “knot,” maedeup evokes the weaving together of image, movement, sound, and memory. Inspired by the visual world of Shin Yun-bok (Hyewon), an 18th-century Korean painter renowned for his portrayals of women and everyday life, the work unfolds without spoken text. Foley performance, tableau vivant, live visuals, and live camera work transform his paintings into living, time-based events in which body, sound, and image converge in real time. Created by kNOT and produced by the Seoul Institute of the Arts with support from the Kansong Art and Culture Foundation, the production offers an encounter with Korean visual heritage beyond language and cultural boundaries.

An artistic initiative of the Seoul Institute of the Arts, the project brings Korean cultural heritage into contemporary performance and, through its presentation at La MaMa, into dialogue with international audiences. Led by director and professor Kim JiYoung, the production brings together professional performers connected to SeoulArts in an interdisciplinary collaboration spanning theatre, visual art, sound, photography, and live media. Kim’s recent work explores new ways of connecting Korean tradition with contemporary expression.

For more information, visit Maedeup: Weaving Shin Yun-bok - La MaMa - Experimental Theatre Club in New York

◆ Credits

Director Kim JiYoung
Assistant Director Shin SeokHun
Stage Manager Yun YeBean
Text & Dramaturg Kim NaYeong
Choreographer Kim SoYi
Composer Woody Pak
Music Director Lee JeongYeon
Assistant Music Director Kim JiWoo
Technical Director Lee SeungHoon
Lighting designer Kim SuBin
Costume Designer Lee Jieun, Ko Sukhee, Kim SoYi
Stage Technician Jung MinJai
Motion Graphics Designer Kim HuKyeong
Graphic Designer Yoo DongHyeon
Prop Designer Kwon Min
Touring & Company Manager Chang KiYeong
Performers (including Live Visuals & Foley Performance): Shim EunSeop, Kim SaRang, Kim SeoRan, Ko ByungYong, Noh SoonMo, Shin RaHee, Lee Eun, Seo GwanYoung

Supported by: Seoul Institute of the arts, Kansong Art and Culture Foundation, Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange(KOFICE)

◆ Free Workshop: From Painting to Movement: Exploring Shin Yun-bok through the Body

Saturday, September 26, 2026 at 2 PM

The Downstairs Theatre at La MaMa

(66 E 4th St., New York, NY 10003)

Tickets: Free Admission (RSVP Required)

Recommended to College students studying theatre, dance, and performance
Duration: 75 minutes
Facilitated by: Kim Ji-Young, Kim SoYi
Anchor Question: How can we bring a painting to life through the body?
This workshop offers a hands-on encounter with the same artistic process behind maedeup: Weaving Shin Yun-bok, where a still image and a living body meet.

Presented in connection with Maedeup: Weaving Shin Yun-bok, a live performance that reimagines the genre paintings of Joseon-era artist Shin Yun-bok through contemporary performance, this workshop invites participants to bring a centuries-old painting to life through their own bodies.

Drawing on the movement language developed for the production, participants will explore basic elements of Korean traditional dance, including breath, weight, rhythm, and flow. They will then turn to a painting by Shin Yun-bok itself. Using Viewpoints-based exercises, they'll examine how the painting's figures stand, look, and relate to one another, then translate those observations into shape, gesture, and spatial composition.

Working in small groups, participants will create their own tableaux inspired by the painting, using the Korean movement vocabulary to move fluidly from one image to the next. The workshop closes with a short sharing of their compositions.