Mouth to Mouth

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© Electronic Arts Intermix (EAI), New York

Theresa Hak Kyung Cha

Mouth to Mouth, 1975

Video, black and white, sound, 7 min 40 sec

GF0030179.00.0-2008

Artwork text

English and Korean words appear on the screen, a mouth forms the shape of an "O," then opens and closes. Is this the beginning of language? In this early videotape, Cha isolates and repeats a simple, physical act - a mouth forming the eight Korean vowel graphemes - so that this ordinary action becomes something primal and riveting.