WEBZINE ACC

#1.

A modern person is lonely. One is fatigued with the daily grind and the demands of social engagement. One can even say that it is lonelier in the crowd. Society sets certain standards and dictates that one be regulated within that cage, and those who deviate are left behind.

The media theater “Mr. Whale is Strange” is a story of isolation and communication for the people of today. Seon, a person treated as an outcast at work, submerges himself in a bathtub daily and imagines himself as a whale. That, for him, is the only time he is allowed to be himself.

One day, the fairy of water bubbles appears and grants his dream of becoming a whale. Seon eagerly goes to his new life at sea, but unlike other whales, he speaks at 52 Hz. No other whales can understand him. Even at sea, Seon is made into an outcast. Though other whales cannot hear his song, Seon continues to sing.

Seon communicates with the world at his own frequency, bringing him closer to others in the sea, like octopuses and plankton. A plankton becomes his friend and is happy he has the 52 Hz songs in his life, where he “lives and dies~♬” in an endless cycle.

One day, Seon runs into a group of dolphins who lost their hearing after colliding with a massive boat. Seon uses his unique frequency to save their lives. These incidents help Seon realize that his unique frequency is valuable. With newfound courage in his heart, Seon continues with his life. The fairy of water bubbles comes to him once more, asking whether he wants to continue living as a whale or try to live as a human again. Seon chooses the latter, for he wants to try singing again, even if he is stuck at his frequency as a human.

#2.

“Mr. Whale is Strange” was created as part of the ACC Asia Content Performance Development Contest by the GWANGDAE, a group that uses the traditional theater format (yeonhui) to tell today’s stories. Their latest piece is the story of a 52 Hz whale and the communication problem in today’s world.

This performance was intended as a contemporary reinterpretation of traditional theater, mainly focus on the theatrical tradition in the coastal regions of Korea. The traditional elements, exemplified by the gesture reified into the theatrical elements over time, are now brought forward into contemporary elements. The GWANGDAE’s present work expresses the mystical world of the sea through movements drawn from Pungmul, Tallori, and other traditional Korean dance theaters, specifically the movements and sounds from the dance theater tradition in the coastal regions of Korea. Some of the elements used in this vein include the Donghaean and Namhaean Byeolsingut, a ritual for abundant fishing and welfare of the village on the eastern and southern coasts of Korea, and the Jindo Ssitgimgut tradition, a ritual for the dead in Jindo Island.

In particular, the work expresses underwater movement with paper money, long associated with the ritual of calming the dead. Underwater creatures appearing onstage dance with scores of paper money sheets made from the traditional changhoji paper. This paper money dance, also known as Jijeonchum, is a part of the Jindo Ssitgimgut tradition, National Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 72 of Korea. Shamans presiding over this ritual use the paper money, “jijeon,” to purify the dead’s souls of their grudges in the mortal world so they can enter the afterlife in peace. This dance can likewise be found in the Donghaean Byeolsingut tradition.

The scene with the bathtub takes its inspiration from the Yongseonnoreum dance, a dance ritual in the Namhaean Byeolsingut tradition involving a dragon boat (yongseon) ferrying the souls of the dead to the afterlife. Here, the bathtub plays the role of the dragon boat, and its transformation into the dragon boat signals the transition of the setting to the sea.

A notable element of this performance is its attempt to combine traditional theater with electronic music and video media. The performance skillfully weaves the traditional rhythm of Korean music with electronic music to create an atmosphere of heung or joy. Videos are used to show the world from the viewpoint of the 52 Hz whale.

#3.

Media theater “Mr. Whale is Strange” is based on the story of the 52-Hz whale, which is said to have been found in the Pacific Ocean in 1989. Whales communicate at a frequency of 12–25Hz, but this particular whale sings at 52 Hz. Because the 52 Hz whale sings a song no other whales could understand, it is said to be the “loneliest whale in the world.” How did the 52 Hz whale communicate with others? Did the whale have a unique way of communication?

The story of the 52 Hz whale is even more relevant in today’s world. Despite the affluence of media, “communication” is still an important question in today’s society. One can even say that we live in an age where communication is rendered even more difficult precisely because of greater communication opportunities. Sometimes, we are forced to face situations where we cannot communicate adequately with language. Can we, then, speak wholly of ourselves and communicate with others at the same time? “Mr. Whale is Strange” brings us back to the topic of communication between people in today's world and, by doing so, encourages the “52 Hz whales” across the world. The message, then, is not to lose their true selves.