Hand in my pocket, 2023

11 March — 12 March 2023, Shop Amomento, Seoul

SEHIKYO's second presentation introduces the 15-minute performance project «Hand in my pocket»(2023).

hand in my pocket (2023) explores the intersection of personal memory and sociocultural context through the object of the "pocket."
This 15-minute performance unfolds by juxtaposing the process of hand-stitching pockets—made from secondhand garments and leftover threads—with live guitar and drum sounds.

The central motif, the pocket, references the historical context of tie-on pockets worn by European women from the 17th to the 20th century. Inspired particularly by The Pocket: A Hidden History of Women’s Lives (2019) by Barbara Burman and Ariane Fennetaux, the work recalls how pockets served not only as containers but also as intimate spaces embodying identity, social status, emotional bonds, and the maker’s creativity and autonomy.

SEHIKYO reinterprets these layers of material culture from a contemporary perspective, transforming sewing—often regarded as a domestic craft—into a performative practice.
hand in my pocket reconstructs the craft-based, emotional, and political meanings of the pocket in a space where manual labor and sonic rhythm intersect. It visualises how static, quiet processes can be expanded into the dynamic language of performance.

Performers: Gayeon Kim, Hyeonha Nam,
Hyewon Baek, Hyeju Song,
Soobeen Jeon
Sound: Seungtaek Lim
Video: Deokju Kim
Photography: Seoyoung Kim
Proofreading: Haeun Kim
Graphic design: Minjong Kim
Title type: Juan Feng
Body type: Caslon Ionic by Commercial Classics
 
Supported by Shop Amomento

 Printed matter, Hand in my pocket, 2023

"........Making pockets, which may appear to be static house-hold labour, is, in fact, a very dynamic and proactive—sometimes even combative—performance. I hope everyone finds their own vivid rhythm and melody from creating and carrying pockets!"

Sehikyo, Hand in my pocket, 2023, p.10