“A VOID A VOID” by Carole Kim Elevates Collaborative Improvisation at LUMINEX: Dialogues of Light
At LUMINEX: Dialogues of Light, Carole Kim presented A VOID A VOID, an experimental work that pushed collaborative improvisation to new heights. Known for her boundary-pushing art, Kim maintained her adventurous approach at LUMINEX. For one night only, she projected her work onto the exterior wall of The Morrison Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles. In doing so, the installation explored both the prolonged absence and historical presence embedded in this location.
Using her primary medium of video projection, Kim combined multi-media installation, performance, and photography. She layered images, videos, and sounds onto the building’s surface. She worked closely with her collaborators and the audience. Additionally, a dedicated station invited visitors to write and draw notes. Kim then incorporated these contributions into the performance. By actively involving the audience, she broke down the barrier between artist and observer. Consequently, her work was perfectly suited to LUMINEX, an exhibition designed to reunite the Los Angeles community after over a year of physical and political separation. Through her performance, Kim offered a moment of collective reprieve where nothing divided those gathered.
For A VOID A VOID, she explained that she creates this space to give her collaborators freedom to “fully insert themselves and do what they do best.” She also aims to “encourage the maximum amount of exploration and unpredictable discovery.” She follows this philosophy not only in A VOID A VOID but also in previous works, such as Shine a Light at Descanso Gardens.
The architecture of The Morrison Hotel also influenced Kim’s expression. She observed that “the two inlets on the parking lot side of the building present an opportunity to metaphorically explore loss, the hole of a pandemic, the gaps of isolation, [and] the intransigent nature of communication prevalent at present.” To emphasize a “renewed sense of possibility,” Kim incorporated movement into the installation.
At random intervals, two performers dressed in white slithered into the void between the wall and the audience. There, they drew lines in white chalk across the floor. This color choice harmonized with the projected light show. White light embodies both the absence of color and the presence of all colors simultaneously. Finally, Kim framed A VOID A VOID around the tension between nothing and everything. By blurring the line between opposites, she created a space where collective healing could be felt, seen, and heard—not just discussed.
You can watch Carole Kim’s A VOID A VOID via livestream [here].
Collaborators: Roxanne Steinberg & Oguri (Dance), Carmina Escobar (Vocals & Electronics), Jorge Martin (Modular Synth), Eli Rosenkim (Electronics), Alicia Gorecki & Theo Rasmussen (Live Feed Camera)
ABOUT CAROLE KIM
Carole Kim works primarily with video projection in multi-media installation, performance, and photography. Moreover, she explores the intersection of technology and the tangible world. Specifically, Kim focuses on light and layered translucency. In addition, she pushes moving images to take on optical, spatial, and dimensional forms.
Kim experiments with merging physical space, the body, and the illusionistic world of moving images. Through this juxtaposition, she plays with scale, dimensionality, and material perception. As a result, her layered installations create new composite worlds. These works invite viewers to ask, “What is this world I am observing?” Furthermore, they provoke thought on how it changes one’s relationship to the physical world.
Importantly, Kim emphasizes interaction and collaboration over traditional video mapping. She encourages the audience and collaborators to participate actively. Consequently, this approach makes each experience unique and dynamic.