Mahk Making Spaces

  • Classical Music
  • Utzon Room
  • Run time: 140 minutes, including a 20 minute interval Subject to change

Rough beauty, breath, and Korean-Australian making.

Raw honesty of Korean mahk aesthetics is the focus of this multi-artform project. Seoul-based performers Choi Eunji (haegeum) and Lee Eonhwa (gayageum) work with Australian musicians Joshua Hill (percussion), Ying Liu (erhu) and others performing new Western Sydney, Melbourne, London and Tokyo musics. Imaginative films and artworks curated by Vincent Tay and Bruce Crossman, are the creative spark for the music, working with Adam Daniel, Emily Rytmeister, Madison Shakespeare (Gadigal) and Behrad Rezaei, based on artists Richard Wu’s “Waterfall Within” and Cheolyu Kim’s “Space 7 #157.” Poetic responses by Kate Fagan, Kim Pham and Eileen Chong sit alongside dramatic imaginings of Waanyi nation author, Alexis Wright’s Carpentaria, by Actors Centre Australia/ Western Sydney University actors, dramaturgs Adam Cook and Anthony Uhlmann.

Presented by School of Arts, Western Sydney University

Event details

Mahk”…refers to things unrefined or ordinary...Yet within such “roughness” lies sincerity and immediacy, qualities deeply Korean.

Yoon Jung-kang, Goodstage 2025

Artists

RoleName
Executive Producer  Bruce Crossman
Film ProducerVincent Tay
Music Business ProducerYing Liu
Poetry ProducerKate Fagan
Co-Drama ProducerAnthony Uhlmann
Co-Drama ProducerAdam Cook
ArtistCheolyu Kim (South Korea)
ArtistRichard Wu
Artist/Film/Composer/VocalsMadison Shakespeare (Gadigal)
ArtistChris Fleming 
HaegeumChoi Eunji (South Korea)
GayageumLee Eonhwa (South Korea)
PercussionJoshua Hill
ErhuYing Liu
GuzhengChuqiao Zhao 
GuzhengYuyan Tang 
Saxophone/Electronics/ComposerBrendan Smyly
Acoustic Guitar/Vocals/SongwriterJohn Encarnação
Clarinet/ComposerOliver O’Reilly
Percussionist/KitLachlan Blackwood (Wiradjuri)
Electronics DJ/ComposerNoel Burgess
PoetKate Fagan
PoetEileen Chong
PoetKim Pham
WriterAlexis Wright (Waanyi)
Translator (Chinese) Jing Han 
Translator (Korean)Dae Young Kim 
Film/AnimationBehrad Rezaei
Film/AnimationGreg Hughes
FilmVincent Tay
FilmAdam Daniel
FilmEmily Rytmeister
Film/Live VJKate Richards
ComposerTomoyuki Hisatome (Japan)
ComposerHyelim Kim (South Korea/UK)
ComposerAndrián Pertout
ComposerClare Maclean
ComposerBruce Crossman

Program

Concert

WorkName
IntroductionProfessor Saba Bebawi 
Sung Welcome to CountryMadison Shakespeare (composer/vocals) (Gadigal)
Carpentaria: Will’s Island: The Wash—Chorus 1 (8 actors) & filmAlexis Wright (text), Anthony Uhlmann & Adam Cook (dramaturgs); Actors Centre Australia/Western Sydney University
Qilin (solo guzheng)Tomoyuki Hisatome (composer); Zhao Chuqiao (guzheng)
On the Surface of a Stream (guzheng, gayageum) & filmClare Maclean (composer); Zhao Chuqiao (guzheng) & Lee Eonhwa (gayageum)
Comprovisation (saxophone, haegeum, kit) & filmOliver O’Reilly (composer); Oliver O’Reilly (saxophone), Choi Eunji (haegeum) & Lachlan Blackwood (kit)
The Idleness of Fish: twenty-one responses to Richard Wu’s calligraphic paintings (speaker) & filmEileen Chong (poet)
Mulgoa Mahks & Spaciousness (haegeum, percussion) & film

Bruce Crossman (composer); Choi Eunji (haegeum), Joshua Hill (percussion)

As Water Flows (erhu, haegeum, gayageum, & guzheng) & filmYing Liu (composer); Ying Liu (erhu), Choi Eunji (haegeum), Lee Eonhwa (gayageum) & Tang Yuyan (guzheng)
INTERVAL
Carpentaria: Gropers: Norm's Responsibility—Chorus 2 (7 actors) & filmAlexis Wright (text), Anthony Uhlmann & Adam Cook (dramaturgs); Actors Centre Australia/Western Sydney University

New Work (vocals, acoustic guitar, saxophone)

& film

John Encarnação (songwriter); Brendan Smyly (saxophone) & John Encarnação (acoustic guitar/ vocals)
Blues (erhu, guzheng, kit) & filmLachlan Blackwood (composer); Ying Liu (erhu), Tang Yuyan (guzheng) & Lachlan Blackwood (kit)
The Sound of Emptiness (solo guzheng & electronics)Andrián Pertout (composer); Zhao Chuqiao (guzheng)
New Poem (speaker)Kim Pham (poet)
Electro-Comprovisation (gayageum, saxophone/ electronics) & filmBrendan Smyly (composer); Lee Eonhwa (gayageum), Brendan Smyly (saxophone/electronics) 
Electroacoustic Composition (taegum-electronics, speaker) & filmHyelim Kim & Noel Burgess (composers); Kate Fagan (poetry); Hyelim Kim (taegum recording) & Noel Burgess (electronics)
Carpentaria: River: From Time Immemorial—Chorus 3 (8 actors) & filmAlexis Wright (text), Anthony Uhlmann & Adam Cook (dramaturgs); Actors Centre Australia/ Western Sydney University

Artists/Films

WorkName

Carpentaria: Will’s Island: The Wash—

Chorus 1 Film

Alexis Wright (text), Vincent Tay (film); Jing Han (Chinese translation); Richard Wu (artworks)
On the Surface of a Stream FilmEmily Rytmeister (film); Richard Wu (artworks)
Comprovisation 1 FilmAdam Daniel (film); Cheolyu Kim (artworks)
The Idleness of Fish: twenty-one responses to Richard Wu’s calligraphic paintings FilmEileen Chong (text), Vincent Tay (film) & Richard Wu (artworks)
Mulgoa Mahks & Spaciousness FilmEileen Chong (text), Vincent Tay (film); Richard WuCheolyu Kim (artworks)
As Water FlowsVincent Tay, Behrad Rezaei & Lucy Wang (film); Richard Wu (artworks)
INTERVAL 
Carpentaria: Gropers: Norm's Responsibility—Chorus 2 FilmAlexis Wright (text), Madison Shakespeare (film/artworks); Jing Han (Chinese)
New Work FilmJohn Encarnação (text), Vincent Tay (film); Cheolyu Kim (artworks)
Blues FilmBehrad Rezaei (film); Cheolyu Kim (artworks)
Electro-Comprovisation FilmKim Pham (text), Behrad Rezaei & Greg Hughes (film/VJ); Chris Fleming & Cheolyu Kim (artworks)
Electroacoustic Composition FilmKate Fagan (text), Kate Richards (film/VJ); Cheolyu Kim (artworks)
Carpentaria: River: From Time Immemorial—Chorus 3 FilmAlexis Wright (text), Vincent Tay (film); Dae Young Kim (Korean translation) & Jing Han (Chinese translation); Cheolyu Kim & Richard Wu (artworks)

Technical Coordination

RoleName
Technical Director (sound)Alexander Frendo
Technical Director (film)Vincent Tay
Technical Director (film)Diego Murillo
Technical Director (drama)Daniel Holdsworth

Advisory Panel

RoleName
Head of Discipline (Creative Production and Performance), School of Arts, WSUBruce Crossman
Dean, School of Arts, WSUSaba Bebawi
Director, Writing and Society Research Centre, School of Arts, WSUKate Fagan

Business Operations Coordinator,

School of Arts, WSU

Marian Schraishuhn
Program Lead, Film, School of Arts, WSUVincent Tay
Program Lead, Drama, School of Arts, WSUAnthony Uhlmann
Design & Animation, School of Arts, WSUBehrad Rezaei
Administration Assistant, School of Arts, WSUMonib Sanai 
Director, Institute for Australian and Asian Arts & Culture, WSUJing Han
Department of Korean Music, College of Music, Seoul National University, South KoreaNoh Eunah
Department of Korean Music, College of Music, Seoul National University, South KoreaChoi Eunji
Director, Redbase Contemporary, SydneyNancy Nan
Gallery Manager, Redbase Contemporary, SydneyDaniel Press
Jiayin Management Pty LtdYing Liu

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Plan your visit

Address

Sydney Opera House
Bennelong Point
Sydney NSW 2000
Australia

Getting to the venue

The Opera House is a 7-10 minute walk from Circular Quay, and is easily accessible by car, train, ferry, lightrail, bus, bike and on foot.

Location and access

Utzon Room

The Utzon Room is located on the Eastern side of the Opera House, in front of the Joan Sutherland Theatre. Best accessed through the Box Office Foyer or the Covered Concourse. All Sydney Opera House foyers are accessible, with lifts to the main and western foyers. The public lift to all foyers is accessible from the corridor near the escalators on the Lower Concourse and also in the Western Foyer via the corridor on the Ground Level (at the top of the escalators).

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