Review: Sound Performance 'Monument of Acoustic Memorial to Slaughter and Rebirth' by Ilavenil Vasuki Jayapalan (NAGAVER)
A review of Ilavenil Vasuki Jayapalan's sound performance commemorating Sri Lankan Tamil genocide victims.Summary
Ilavenil Vasuki Jayapalan (NAGAVER)'s sound performance 'Monument of Acoustic Memorial to Slaughter and Rebirth' commemorates the Tamil victims of the Sri Lankan civil war. Held at Kyoto Art Center, the performance took place in a space filled with red lighting, smoke, and the scent of incense, separated from the audience by a screen. The performance began with a slow Tamil love song, gradually shifting to intense noise and explosive sounds resembling gunfire. By eliminating specific imagery and dialogue, and keeping the performer hidden behind the screen, the work creates an abstract 'shadow' that symbolizes anyone who could be a victim. This strategy avoids political censorship while evoking the audience's imagination and creating a unique sacredness that fuses the quietude of Noh theater with intense energy. The work suggests that mourning should be a tense communion with the dead rather than a safe distance, offering a hope for human restoration.
(Source：ART iT)