The moment you let go of your sight, sound seeps into your skin. An immersive sound meditation performance unfolding in Dongdaemun, Seoul, is opening a new horizon for your senses.
We spend most of our day on “seeing.” Phone screens, monitors, and views beyond glass windows. Just as your eyes can’t rest, your ears and body grow increasingly shallow. So what if you close your eyes for a moment? And if, in the darkness, sound begins to come alive and move?
On May 1st and 2nd, an immersive sound meditation performance—rare to find in Korea—will be held at the Kim Hee-soo Art Center in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. The title is “Concert in the Darkness.” As the name suggests, guests sit in darkness wearing eye masks, experiencing the performance through sound, vibrations, and scent alone.
A Project Prepared to Shift Perceptions of Disability Arts
“Concert in the Darkness” is a project-type performance planned and hosted by the Social Cooperative Culture Factory. It was created to explore new possibilities for art through the expansion of the senses and to lead a shift in awareness around disability arts.
The core of the performance is simple. Put on the eye mask, sit in your place, and wait. Low-frequency waveforms slowly travel from your feet to the top of your head, while the ringing resonance of the singing bowls fills the air. At some point, your body begins to remember how to breathe.
This performance is different from a typical classical concert or a meditation music event. It’s less about “listening” to sound and more like experiencing sound. Vibrations pass through the body, fragrance brushes against memory, and a deep state of relaxation arrives naturally.
Shadow in the Forest — Where Practice Meets Sound
“Shadow in the Forest” leads the entire meditation music and sound design for this performance.
Meditation artist Park Seol-ah has been studying meditation practice and coaching in the master’s program at the Seonhak Department of Dongguk University, and has continued to work steadily on bringing about inner change through the fusion of sound and meditation. The “sound meditation” she unfolds goes beyond simply enjoying music; it’s a practice-like experience that relaxes the body and emotions through vibrations and expands self-awareness.
For this performance, Park Seol-ah creates an immersive sound environment alongside sound artist Park Seo-hyeon by combining singing bowls and a Gong with elements of Korean traditional music, helping the audience deeply recognize their own breathing and senses.
“We’re always using our senses outward. But this performance is a time to turn those senses inward. Only in the state of not seeing can you meet your own breathing, emotions, and inner resonance more clearly.”
— Park Seol-ah (Meditation Artist, Shadow in the Forest)
Lee Jong-deok Bangjja-Ugi — Depth Added by the Resonance of Tradition
This performance uses a Bangjja-ugi instrument by master craftsman Lee Jong-deok. Bangjja-ugi is Korea’s own metal craft piece completed through repeated strikes. It is characterized by clear, deep resonance and long sustain. When this delicate vibration is combined with sound healing, it deeply stimulates the audience’s bodily senses with its distinctive resonance.
A Meeting of Modern Sound Art and Traditional Craft. One reason “Concert in the Darkness” doesn’t remain just a simple healing performance is that it carries cultural depth.
Six Artists — A Stage That Breaks Down Boundaries
A total of six artists—Lee Hyeon-ah, Choi Ye-na, In Seung-hyeon, Cho Seong-gyu, Park Seol-ah, and Park Seo-hyeon—come together for this stage. Among them are also artists with visual impairments. They directly bring to life the performance’s message of “invisible senses” on stage, completing an integrated art experience that dissolves the line between disability and non-disability.
In the darkness, everyone stands on the same starting line. That is another language this performance offers.
Performance Schedule and Viewing Information
Dates: May 1st (Fri) 4:00 PM / 7:00 PM
May 2nd (Sat) 2:00 PM / 5:00 PM
Location: Kim Hee-soo Art Center, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul
Tickets: Section S — 10,000 won / Section R — 20,000 won
Reservations: Online ticketing via Interpark (NOL)
https://tickets.interpark.com/goods/26005709?SeatGrade=2&PriceGrade=01
Notes: No entry or exit after the performance begins. Early arrival is required.
Closing your eyes isn’t giving up. It’s opening a door to go deeper. In a busy everyday life, a time to turn your senses inward for a moment—“Concert in the Darkness” will become that door.