Harmonic Glossolalia
Harmonic glossolalia—speaking in tongues, rooted in Pentecostal traditions—developed during my prolonged illness in 2003, has become a therapeutic, contemplative practice, transcending language, doctrine, and localized faith traditions. It functions as a spiritual dialogue between material, my body, and something beyond myself, infusing the work with a spiritual presence.
This methodology grounds my installation-based research projects Prayers and 6.25 – The Korean War Project, which examine genetic trauma, diasporic identity, and the search for connection that resists alienation, conflict, and dogma. Here, harmonic glossolalia becomes a vessel when language falters; the embodied voice offers a new mode of articulating narratives often obscured or erased. When harmonic glossolalia merges with acoustic interruptions—the metallic friction of wire, the abrasion of carving tools, the ambient noise of daily life—it generates a layered sonic field that foregrounds the simultaneity of devotion and labor, rupture and continuity. This composite soundscape reflects the condition of human existence itself: ephemeral, fragmented, and unresolved.
Video Installation PRAYERS
Harmonic Glossolalia chanted by Kyong Boon Oh. 2025. 5 min
6.25 – The Displaced. (5 min condensed video)
Harmonic Glossolalia chanted by Kyong Boon Oh. 2024
Full Video and 6.25 -The Korean War Project Link