Gin Yung-Hsin Ko: Costume as Living Archive in Theatre and Installation
Costume designer Gin Yung-Hsin Ko, who operates out of Taipei and the United States, perceives clothing as a reflection of the body, movement, and memory. Her diverse portfolio includes costume design, theatre, and interdisciplinary works, all rooted in the physicality of performers. Ko's dance theatre production, Unfinished Island Songs, created in collaboration with choreographer Chih-Jou Cheng, delves into the experiences of Taiwanese immigrants and was highlighted by the Chicago Reader for AAPI Heritage Month. She chose cotton and linen for their texture and tendency to wrinkle, working alongside lighting designer Seojung Jang. Additionally, her project Pleats as Spatial Memory featured in the Evanston History Center's reFashioning History Exhibition. Influenced by artists like Wassily Kandinsky, Leonor Fini, and Adolphe Appia, Ko investigates cultural memory and emotional reactions to familiar items.
Key facts
- Gin Yung-Hsin Ko works between Taipei and the United States in costume design, theatre, and interdisciplinary practice.
- She co-produced and designed Unfinished Island Songs, a dance theatre work about Taiwanese immigrant experience, with choreographer Chih-Jou Cheng.
- The Chicago Reader featured Unfinished Island Songs as part of its AAPI Heritage Month coverage.
- Ko selected cotton and linen for Unfinished Island Songs instead of Lycra, valuing their weight, resistance, and wrinkling.
- Lighting designer Seojung Jang collaborated on Unfinished Island Songs, revealing folds and tension through light.
- Her project Pleats as Spatial Memory was selected for the Evanston History Center's reFashioning History Exhibition.
- Ko cites Wassily Kandinsky, Leonor Fini, and Adolphe Appia as key influences on her approach to costume and stage design.
- She grew up in a family without an arts background and insisted on studying theatre as a break from predetermined paths.
Entities
Artists
- Gin Yung-Hsin Ko
- Chih-Jou Cheng
- Seojung Jang
- Wassily Kandinsky
- Leonor Fini
- Adolphe Appia
- Xon Young Bae
- Justin Barbin
- Sasha Pasechnik
- Alex Valderana
Institutions
- Chicago Reader
- Evanston History Center
- AATONAU
Locations
- Taipei
- Taiwan
- United States
- Chicago
- Evanston
Sources
- AATONAU —