HELP is the new work by Kang Boreum, recipient of the 15th DOOSAN Yonkang Arts Award. As the director of the art collective ‘Project Readymade’, she has consistently explored the intersections of diverse bodies and voices, including those of women, workers, youth, immigrants, queer individuals, and those with disabilities.
Kang rediscovers theatre by transforming conventional theatrical venues with a fresh vision. By integrating diverse mediums such as oral history, exhibitions, pansori, documentary, and immersive elements, she expands contemporary issues into visceral theatrical experiences.
“Can we care for each other without looking for a helping hand?” Kang’s new work, HELP, departs from the unsettling realization that one cannot always save oneself. In our daily lives, we often lean on various sources: family, lovers, friends, careers, faith, investments, shared-interest communities, or professionals. HELP interrogates why the lonely inevitably seek saviours, and why the burden of such salvation and the duty of care are largely shifted onto families, specifically daughters. Kang asks: how can we construct a realistic safety net for care, rather than blindly relying on magical salvation?