Luis Jacob
Lives and works in Toronto

Luis Jacob, born in Peru, use of different formats, such as video, photography, performance and happenings in the public domain, reflects his equally varied creative roles as a writer, teacher, curator and political activist. His experimentation with theatrical forms to stimulate social interaction and participation plays a central role in his works. Practicing experimental and alternative artistic activities stems from his personal interests and subjective views, and through materializing and visualizing them in his works, Jacob explores the interaction between an individual and society and the possibility of a new way of participating in society. In this context, he is showing images of dance, sculpture, movement, and audience participation through photographic, video, and sound recording works in Platform Seoul 2008.

Platform Seoul 2008

"I have nothing to say and I am saying it" is a contemporary art exhibit that brings together imagery, sound, light, dance, and theater – all elements that interact with time and space – inviting the viewer to take part not as a "visitor" but as an active "participant." Interacting with the here and now, this non-material form of art does not seek to distance itself from its audience, but instead bids the viewer to step into the artist's dimension of time and space to encounter new energy and experiences.

"I have nothing to say and I am saying it" features more than 50 local and international artists impacting today's global art scene, whose works are variously inspired by the historical meaning of conceptual art, minimalism, experimental theater, media art, and modern dance. Although, in an experimental approach, works by each artist will be shown in separate spaces and undertaken as individual projects across different mediums, they will nonetheless be consistently aligned to the exhibit's broad conceptual context.

Multiple perspectives exploring the expansion of space through bodily movement and motions, the relationship between art and the viewer, art as an everyday event, and the theatrical rendition of time and space, which were originally attempted by conceptual and performance artists in the 1960's and 1970's, are now being recast in a new light in contemporary art. As such, "I have nothing to say and I am saying it" will feature these contemporary pieces together with images, photographs, objects and performances from historical works to provide a contextual backdrop.

"I have nothing to say and I am saying it" will be displayed in a total of 12 venues, with many of the participating artists embarking on new artworks that draw inspiration from the particular spatiality of the given location. In the case of the Seoul Station Old Building for instance, the design of the exhibition layout was executed to reflect the special historical and socio-cultural context of the building. Artists will have examined the art centers and galleries in the Sagan-dong area in advance before placing their installation work. Ultimately, most Platform artists will visit their venues in the Sagan-dong area beforehand to examine the space and either produce all-new projects relevant to that particular space or reconstruct existing installations to reflect the location's unique spatial characteristics.

"I have nothing to say and I am saying it"
Experiencing an exhibition is ultimately about encountering a new time and space. Although a new type of perceptual experience is created by the exhibition, there are limits to its communication. This is because although knowledge and concepts can be conveyed, it is impossible to fully communicate one's senses or experience. The moment the viewer enters the "I have nothing to say and I am saying it" exhibit, the person is instantly inserted into the time and space of the artwork and goes through a synesthetic experience that is not limited to the visual. Wanting to hear complete silence, John Cage encountered a totally new sensory experience when he entered an anechoic chamber and became aware of the vibrations of his heart and the sound of his own blood circulating. Cage encapsulated this unintentional perceptual experience by writing, "I have nothing to say / and I am saying it / and that is poetry / as I need it." Instead of forcing a unilateral visual experience onto its viewers, this exhibit seeks to offer a sensory experience that, although may be an incomplete form of communication, nonetheless can only be experienced and appreciated directly by the viewers themselves. And so in this spirit, the Platform exhibit is titled "I have nothing to say and I am saying it."