Public Sharing
Kori Mile, current Travelling Artist in Residence

Kori is an interdisciplinary and process-based takataapui artist, currently working and living on sacred Wurundjeri land in Naarm/Melbourne. They are of Maaori (Ngaati Raukawa, Ngaati Ahuru, Tainui/Waikato), Italian, Scottish & Anglo-Celtic descent, but born and raised in so-called Australia. They predominantly utilise performance, installation, sculpture, photography, video and poetry as mediums to explore/articulate ideas, knowledge and stories.

Kori’s practice is guided by the stories of Maaui—the trickster demigod of Maaori mythology—and how Maaui’s clever wit combined with the powers of shape-shifting and interdimensional travel are used to undermine structural authority and cause a paradigm shift in power distribution - a social and systemic change that benefits those with less privilege and access. Kori’s practice manifests visions that confront the ongoing damage of colonial and heteronormative social structures, whilst concurrently fostering a space for contemplation on transgression, eroticism, liberation, humour, healing, regeneration and resilience.

Kori’s current practice spurs from an enquiry into the correlations between trickster archetypes in ancient knowledge systems and contemporary queer performativity, attitudes, actions and resistance tactics. Sean holds a particular interest in the stories of Maaui—the trickster demigod of Maaori mythology—and how Maaui’s clever wit combined with the powers of shape-shifting and interdimensional travel are used to undermine structural authority and cause a paradigm shift in power distribution - a social and systemic change that benefits those with less privilege and access.

Kori applies simplistic, punk and immediate methods of transformation to at-hand materials and environments as a means to reveal the transformative potential of our everyday make-up. These ritualistic and alchemical-like processes produce objects, costumes and spaces for ceremony to be activated by performance, as an attempt to ~ revive suppressed, reveal hidden and/or generate future ~ folklore.

Inspired by gothic horror and speculative fiction, Kori’s practice manifests visions that confront the ongoing damage of colonial and heteronormative social structures, whilst concurrently fostering a space for contemplation on transgression, eroticism, liberation, humour, healing, regeneration and resilience.

SAT 15 June

12pm

.