Kat AustenㅣEmpty Fields

 

Who are you as an individual and artist?

My name is Kat Austen. To redefine and enrich our relationship with the environment and society, my work concentrates on the boundary between what we consider to be the self and others. I investigate empathy, social agency, power relations, and identity in the context of a complex interplay between human action and non-human or more-than-human entities during contemporary ecological crises. I work with new media and participatory practice to create experimental music, sculptural installations and performances. I am particularly drawn to sound, as I have a foundation in classical piano and vocals. Drawing on contemporary research and philosophy, my artworks integrate knowledge from a variety of disciplines. My previous works have addressed climate change, microplastics, gender, and more.

 

What artworks are you showcasing in this exhibition?

Empty Fields is a site-specific sound+movement performance. The soundscape will be constructed by sonically overlaying field recordings from Seoul, Gwangju, and Jeju’s Mt. Hallasan with AI and noises from the Kiaf exhibition hall. I transform into a hybrid cybernetic lifeform during this performance, traversing both physical and virtual environments. My movements, as I walk the Kiaf exhibition halls, control the sounds. I weave into the air sonic environments that underscore the importance of coevolution and the interconnectedness of Earth’s ecosystems.

 

What message or experience do you aim to convey through your exhibition piece?

The performance will offer the audience and visitors to Kiaf with the opportunity to become fellow travelers on a voyage through a multidimensional sonic universe. Together, we will experience the miraculous interconnectedness that has led to and supports our very existence. I trust that this transformational performance will cultivate empathy and intimacy between us, as well as for the physical and virtual environments with which we coexist.

 

What makes your artwork unique?

My works are known for the compelling use of sound and visuals to create emotional engagement with environmental topics. ‘Empty Fields’ is a mobile, self-contained performance that combines sound and movement, bringing the freedom of an artistic performance “happening” to an electronic sound art. This is particularly noteworthy. The opportunity to respond to the fair’s visitors in a dynamic and unconventional manner by intervening in the Kiaf exhibition hall is the most thrilling.

 

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Credits:

Empty Fields is produced in cooperation with the Goethe-Institut Korea

Performance costume: L’INHUMAINE

Studio team: Daniel Hengst, Gyubin Lee

Cooperation Partner: Urban Art Lab in Seoul

Photos: Jess Sutton

 

Kat Austen, Empty Fields, Sound+Movement Performance, 15 min, 2024