[ Home Beyond Home ]
Visual Art, Motion Graphic,  Animation, Thesis 2016

Art direction : SoHee Yoo
Choreography: Jihee Yoo

Contemporary Dancer: Jihee Yoo
Date : April  2016

Thesis of 2016

Home Beyond Home project is about the struggles of international students in Canada. The purpose of my thesis is to uncover some major issues and struggles amongst international students. My thesis focuses on issues regarding racism, cultural identity, socioeconomics, and isolation. I believe it is important that we are aware of individual and group struggles that international students experience, because our problems are rendered invisible by Canadian institutions; primarily Canadian universities, through the discourse of equality, inclusion, and multiculturalism. Through select mediums, I have tried to express the struggles and dilemmas that international students face on a daily basis. 

This is a collaboration work with contemporary dancer, Jihee Yoo. Jihee and I focused on expressing what international students would feel as being not only a foreigner but also students in a different country. I chose contemporary dance because it is the best form of expression. Hence, the dance is regarded as a 3rd language. Through this project, I wanted to raise the awareness of the difficulties experienced by international students. 

집 너머 집으로 프로젝트는  캐나다 유학생들의 힘든 점들의 관한 내용이다. 이 프로젝트의 목적은 유학생들이 겪고 있는 힘든 점들을 알리기 위함이었다. 이 프로젝트를 진행하면서 알게된 대부분의 유학생들이 겪은 사회적문제들은 인종차별, 문화정체감, 경제적문제, 그리고 그들이 느꼈던 고립감이였다.  그들이 겪은 이 어려움들은 몇십년 째 해결되지 않았고, 캐나다내의 있는 대학교들의 광고에서도 절대 보여지지 않은 부분이었다.  그러나 캐나다 대학교들은 유학생들을 경제적 수단으로 볼 뿐, 그들을 위한 제대로된 제도들은 가지고있지 않았다. 유학생들은 몇십년 째 이러한 문제점들을 겪었고, 유학생들을 위한 법과 제도들도 달라지지 않았다. 유학생들이 매일 겪는 어려움들을 춤을통해 풀어보았다. 춤은 또 다른 언어가 필요없는 최고의 표현력을 가진 제 3의 언어라고 말할 정도로 이 프로젝트의 목적과 잘맞는 중간 매체라고 생각되었다. 

춤을 이용한 이 프로젝트는 현대무용가 유지희와 콜라보하였다. 현대무용가 유지희는 작가의 가장 가까운 사이로서, 옆에서 지켜본 친자매로써, 그리고 제 3자로써 춤으로 유학생들이 겪은 어려움들을 표현해내려고 노력했다. 

The idea comes from a quote stating that universities targets the international student market for the purpose of making money. 

•Quote from Pamela Milne of university of Windsor

It shows division of eastern and western clearly through using different style of line. I am realizing differences in ideology and culture between eastern and western and makes. I always feel that there is a boundary between eastern background (born and raised) and wester background.

I believe all people want to belong in a group. This is especially true for international students as they are more vulnerable alone with limited cultural knowledge. Being a group makes a huge difference for international student as group efforts help them counter isolation and gain acknowledgment. Many international students from various ethnic groups stick together and synergize. Group encourage a active and social lifestyle and has the power to influence and individual positively. 

Two identities emerging into one. We have different characteristics when we speak mother tongue and our second language.  *Perspective of international students

This poster targets only international students. The poster has all positive and welcome words for international students. The Canadian institutions promote the inflow of international students, due to their profitability, through the discourse of pro-multiculturalism and equality. However, there are many underlying issues of racial discrimination for international students. I put Korean and Chinese words below the English words that have the opposite meaning. It is because that is what we felt most of times. 

This poster is based on my high school experience. There were a separation between domestic students and international students or between teachers and international students. The domestic students or teachers were often misunderstood international students due to stereo type: international students always skipping the class and always hanging out with the same nationality. They think international students are not trying hard in school. However, this is not all international students’ fault. Students were might had the hard time with involving in the Canadian environments and afraid to try. Due to this miscommunication, it isolated international students from the community.