CONVERSATION WITH SONG JEONGHEUI

Come join us at Yunjoo Kwak’s “Becoming Stones” finissage: a conversation on Jeju shamanic rituals with scholar and musician Jeongheui Song.

During the conversation with Yunjoo Kwak, Jeongheui Song will introduce Jeju shamanic rituals, both as an academic discipline and a spiritual study and practice. She will share the multifaceted nature of shamanic studies, emphasizing its connections to various fields such as agriculture, history, literature, religion, politics, psychology, music, and visual art. She will discuss how these rituals are not just isolated spiritual practices but are deeply intertwined with everyday life, historical trauma and cultural heritage. She will look at the ways in which these rituals reflect and influence agricultural practices, embody historical narratives, inspire literary works, and intersect with both religious beliefs and political dynamics. In essence – a study of life itself.

Yunjoo Kwak will also provide more insights into the connections between her previous research on the notion of colonial architecture and her current investigation on spiritual architecture.

Jeongheui Song, born and raised in Jeju, is a scholar and musician deeply rooted in the cultural heritage of Jeju Island. She currently works as a researcher at the Center for Jeju Studies, where she contributes to the understanding and preservation of Jeju's folklore culture. She is also the director of the art and culture organization “The Nolm”, and teaches Korean traditional music.

She studied Korean literature and focused her MA research on 석살림 (Seoksallim), a part of Jeju shamanic ritual. She continued her scholarly pursuits with a doctorate at the Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Program in Koreanology at Jeju National University on Jeju folk songs, sung for weeding in dry-field farming. As a researcher at the Center for Jeju Studies, Jeongheui has co-authored works on a series of 본풀이 (Bonpuri: Korean shamanic narratives recited in the shamanic rituals of Jeju island), with Jeju shamans such as simbang Kang Dae Won, simbang Suh Soon Sil and simbang Ko Soon An. One of her research projects revolves around the sustainability of ownership, locations and maintenance of 192 shrines in Jeju-si. 

Funded by CBK Rotterdam.

Poster’s photograph by Yunjoo Kwak.

Friday 26th July 2024, at 6pm

We apologise as with the rubbles of old palaces is currently not wheelchair accessible.