“My paintings aren’t cheap. (laughs) So I decided to give paintings as gifts instead of appearance fees.”
Actors Kim Go-eun, Kim Sung-kyun, Han Ye-ri, singer Jang Kiha, comedian Moon Sang-hoon… stars with nothing to lack have all gathered for one person. It is because of Bek Hyunjin, a painter who sells high-value works (represented by PKM Gallery), a musician who helped launch the Hongdae indie scene (Uh Uh Boo Project, Bangbaek), and a ‘high-priced’ supporting actor known for playing all sorts of bizarre characters.
Bek Hyunjin, whom we recently met at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, laughed and said, “In fact, even if you combine all the money allocated to the performers in this show, it wouldn’t match the appearance fee of a single actor.” The ‘mutual aid’ culture he had internalized during his time in indie bands and independent films naturally carried over into this performance.
Bek Hyunjin’s ‘extraordinary show’ is coming. A ‘fusion show’ that crosses over 20 genres including video, installation art, talk show, recitation, speech, music, and skits. He described “Bek Hyunjin Show: Public Broadcast” (September 1–3, Sejong Center for the Performing Arts S Theater) as “a show never seen or heard before.”
▶“A hectic 80 minutes… a fusion show without metaphor or symbolism” = Even the format is fresh. It is a ‘fusion show’ combining multiple genres. Bek contacted people he wanted to perform with, but they were all too busy to gather for rehearsals together. So he devised a format where they exist separately like modules or Lego blocks, yet also come together.
The first half begins with short skit-style segments. Actors appear one by one to fill the stage. Kim Go-eun, who formed a connection with Bek through the film 〈Eungyo〉, performs a solo monologue, while Kim Sung-kyun delivers an intense shouting performance. Han Ye-ri lip-syncs to Bek Hyunjin’s songs. It is a rare opportunity to see these three actors together in a small theater of around 300 seats. Bek Hyunjin and Moon Sang-hoon engage in a discussion themed around ‘civilization.’ A musical performance by the project band ‘Bek Hyunjin C’ follows. Jang Kiha, a ‘neighborhood resident’ (Yeonnam-dong), and MZ-generation hipster icon Y2K92 have also been cast.
He said, “Performances ranging from as short as two minutes to as long as seven or eight minutes unfold rapidly over 80 minutes,” adding, “There is no single message or overarching narrative.” He explained, “These days, performances tend to have too much to say, and I got tired of that. Just like when you open a refrigerator and simply feel ‘cool,’ I wanted to focus on work without special symbolism or metaphor.” He believes that when there is no symbolism or metaphor, one can think more freely, allowing for freer artistic creation.
Of course, there is a theme he emphasized: ‘civilization.’ He said, “People seem to struggle because they perceive civilization as a concept aimed at improvement, advancement, and something better. Civilization is not about improvement or advancement, but simply about change and transformation.”
In this performance, Bek Hyunjin took on directing, scriptwriting, stage design, and music. His career of crossing genres and boundaries is fully reflected. He said, “There is no narrative that runs through the performance, but there is a vibe. When I physically connect what I focus on in each moment, it’s difficult to explain in words, but a certain vibe emerges from within me.” He added, “For some, it may feel incomprehensible and difficult; for others, it may provoke laughter or even tears. Each viewer will feel something different.”
▶Who do I think I am? “A 1972-born single man living alone in Yeonnam-dong” = Bek Hyunjin, known as an actor, musician, and contemporary artist, first gained recognition in the late 1990s when he began the indie band Uh Uh Boo Project with Jang Young-gyu (Leenalchi). Through this project, many artists took notice of Bek Hyunjin’s originality. His participation in director Park Chan-wook’s film 〈Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance〉 also stemmed from the Uh Uh Boo Project. As a contemporary artist, he received the Korea Artist Prize selected by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in 2017.
His acting career is also substantial. Starting with the film 〈The Foul King〉 (2000), he has taken on numerous ‘villainous’ roles. He played a master of abuse of power (film 〈Samjin Company English Class〉), the head of a web-hard company distributing illegal videos (SBS “Taxi Driver”), a dermatologist who infects apartment residents with a disease (tvN “Happiness”), and a ‘fake Na Hoon-a’ (“The Good Bad Mother”). He said, “There are similarities between the roles played by actors I admired in my teens and twenties and the roles I play now. Just because I am around the same age as Jung Woo-sung doesn’t mean I can take on the same roles as him.”
“I tried to find an accurate way to describe myself, and realized I am someone who works with what is seen and what is heard. A contemporary artist deals with what is seen, a musician with what is heard. Acting also involves both seeing and hearing. If I list all that, it becomes too much, so I just say I’m a single man born in 1972, living alone in Yeonnam-dong.”
