Danspace Project invited interdisciplinary artist and an educator, Gyun Hur to attend the Platform 2022 performances and events and to share her responses. The following piece is 1 of 3 offerings in response to the Platform and includes words, images, and poetics prompted by Rashaun Mitchell + Silas Riener‘s RETROFIT: a new age and Ogemdi Ude‘s I know exactly what you mean. 

한 옴큼 han omkeum [1]

“Savannah, Savannah —? 

I know you’re there, honey —.

Uh —– oh—–

오, 와 — 

우.” [2]

Honey, I know you are there,

near the river,

near my bosom where crushed knees meet my grandmother washing clothes,

between the current of that yellow river and my wasted fluids,

I know you are there somewhere.

아가야, 네가 거기 있다는 걸 알아,

near the stoop, [3]

right by my brother’s old memory shoveling his nails into umma’s [4] armpit,

between his anxious sweats and morning dews after demo, [5]

I was there, too,

holding all of it.

You already knew you would have to travel many years 

back and forth to meet me right there,

near the river,

near my bosom where my knees meet the impossible tender 

you

holding.

한 옴큼 han omkeum No.2, pen drawing on paper (10” x 15”), digital montage, 2022 | Image credit to Korean Image Archive.