Donghoon Gang

4.6m/s (2022)

Solo exhibition at This is not a Church, Seoul

10.12.22 - 23.12.22

≪4.6m/s≫ is a project released as an album and presented as a solo exhibition simultaneously while sharing the same title. This project is inspired by Yeondeunggut – an annual ritual summoned to the god of wind that takes place in early February in Gang’s hometown, Jeju Island, in South Korea. In the spirit of the god believed to protect the wellness of the island and sow seeds for a fruitful spring, islanders pray, hoping for the peacefully calm sea surrounding the island during the two-week duration of the ceremony.

The title of the album, ≪4.6m/s≫, is the average wind speed on the day the god of wind arrives on the island for over the past thirty years. Each track was written and presented in the order of the traditional ceremony procedures: Calling, Telling, Seeding and Playing - all of which are symbolic gestures of welcoming the wind deity and sending her back to her origin. Every component in the album is created in mixtures of field recordings and collaborative fulfillments with traditional instrumentalists and shamans based on the island.

All the tracks are also incorporated with ambient sounds, spoken words and music concrète, generating a variety of aural and texture affections at different parts of each sequence. It is summoned to the god of wind, who is believed to bring the northwest monsoon to the island when a weather change begins from wintertime to spring. Within the exhibition format, the sound works will be played using a 5.1 surround sound system to evoke a sense of audio theatre within the space. The immersiveness will also be empowered by a scent specially manufactured for the project.