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"Peace is expensive. War is lucrative. Artists are peace makers. Comedians are truth sayers."
*Conflict *Resolution *Politics *Peace *Love
Wars are lucrative, and peace is an expensive endeavor. In other words, war yields short-term economic benefits for some and lasting destruction for the rest, a losing proposition for all, whereas peace necessitates a globally committed, sustained investment. Using the rhetoric of pop art, Cheon's Polipop makes bold political statements that promote unity and peace on earth during a time of war and conflict, inviting everyone to participate in the conversation. The role of the artist as a peace maker aligns with comedians as truth sayers, who together catalyze creative capital as a positive investment for the future. The common thread that bridges art and comedy is socio-political commentary and satire, social justice and activism, the pacifist spirit, and a throughline that art and laughter are things undefinable, as insinuated by Huizinga's theory of play or in the Duchampian manner, a serious-play of the fourth dimension. KODA presents a world premiere Art and Comedy event dedicated to peace-building.
Please join us on Saturday, September 6, 2025 (3:00-5:00pm), for the "Art and Comedy Event: Peace-Building with Laughter" at the KODA House in Governors Island, produced and curated by the artist Mina Cheon and with a global lineup of the most intelligent-funny standup comedians of New York and LA – the lovable Jonah Bowen, Bangladeshi Naveed Mahbub, Egyptian-American Eman Morgan, and Korean-American Peter S. Kim. Hosted by MJ, a standup Korean, this is the artist Cheon’s debut as a comedian to the art world after months of training as a standup comedian and learning from the inspiring and established comedians listed. And, as a treat, prior to the feature show, a special lineup of New York’s most talented emerging and active comedians will open the event, including comedians Alex Kim, John Bent, Ryan Chazie, Yatin, and Adam Thomas. At the KODA House and the haunted house of Koreas, it's a beauty pageant of comedians and their transformative power of healing through laughter, with storytelling on conflict, resolution, politics, peace, and love in some generously funny way.
*This is a ticketed event; all proceeds will go to the comedians who made this event possible. Seats are limited, and the show starts at 3:00pm. The exhibition is open to the public from 11:00am.*Press pass is available with reservation - please contact: Zoe Perlis zoe@kodalab.org*The Art and Comedy Event is sponsored by Hana Makgeolli TICKETS and MORE INFO HERE New York, NY, August 5, 2025– KODA in New York proudly presents the solo exhibition of global activist and Korean new media artist Mina Cheon, "Haunted Koreas: Mina Cheon Retrospective 2005-2025" (August 30 - September 28, 2025), programmed under the theme of "Peace-Building." The survey show is a distinctive curation of her art known as "Polipop," inspired by pop art and social realism, churned political pop art. The selected works span her art career as an art activist and human rights advocate, from early works to recent art activism, new media, and installation, as well as an extensive collection of Cheon's series of "Dreaming Unification Protest Peace" paintings, offering a new perspective on the flags of a unified One Korea. Each of these paintings, born from the artist's stream of unconsciousness along with her counterpart North Korean art persona "Kim Il Soon," is a powerful peace protest, shedding light on the intricacies of communication, love, and a shared vision of a harmonious future for Haunted Koreas. The call for unification within the Koreas is a concerted effort to desire peace on earth, for dreaming global peace is about healing and reconciliation of tempered worlds divided. “Haunted Koreas: Mina Cheon Retrospective 2005-2025” is in part an extended Cheon’s “Haunted Koreas” traveling exhibition which includes her 2022 solo show at the American University Museum in Washington DC, with select pieces coming from the Inaugural 2020-2021 Asia Society Triennale, Cheon’s 2021 solo exhibition at the Korea Society, and her 2020-2021 solo exhibition at the Ethan Cohen Gallery, all in New York.” Some works are also on display concurrently in the “Art and Activism” exhibition at the Sheehan Gallery at Whitman College in Washington and come from the Asian Arts and Culture Center in Towson University in Maryland, the last site of the traveling exhibition in 2025. KODA is a nomadic social practice arts organization dedicated to incubating conceptual mid-career artists who are deeply committed to social justice practices. At the KODA House on Governors Island, New York, artists have studio residencies and survey shows under socio-political topical themes, such as Identity + Justice, Trauma + Healing, Land + Environment, Racial Justice, Borders + Boundaries, Healing, Mental Health, and this year, “Peace-Building.”
Please join us on Saturday, September 6, 2025 (3:00-5:00pm), for the "Art and Comedy Event: Peace-Building with Laughter" at the KODA House in Governors Island, produced and curated by the artist Mina Cheon and with a global lineup of the most intelligent-funny standup comedians of New York and LA – the lovable Jonah Bowen, Bangladeshi Naveed Mahbub, Egyptian-American Eman Morgan, and Korean-American Peter S. Kim. Hosted by MJ, a standup Korean, this is the artist Cheon’s debut as a comedian to the art world after months of training as a standup comedian and learning from the inspiring and established comedians listed. And, as a treat, prior to the feature show, a special lineup of New York’s most talented emerging and active comedians will open the event, including comedians Alex Kim, John Bent, Ryan Chazie, Yatin, and Adam Thomas. At the KODA House and the haunted house of Koreas, it's a beauty pageant of comedians and their transformative power of healing through laughter, with storytelling on conflict, resolution, politics, peace, and love in some generously funny way.
*This is a ticketed event; all proceeds will go to the comedians who made this event possible. Seats are limited, and the show starts at 3:00pm. The exhibition is open to the public from 11:00am.*Press pass is available with reservation - please contact: Zoe Perlis zoe@kodalab.org*The Art and Comedy Event is sponsored by Hana Makgeolli TICKETS and MORE INFO HERE New York, NY, August 5, 2025– KODA in New York proudly presents the solo exhibition of global activist and Korean new media artist Mina Cheon, "Haunted Koreas: Mina Cheon Retrospective 2005-2025" (August 30 - September 28, 2025), programmed under the theme of "Peace-Building." The survey show is a distinctive curation of her art known as "Polipop," inspired by pop art and social realism, churned political pop art. The selected works span her art career as an art activist and human rights advocate, from early works to recent art activism, new media, and installation, as well as an extensive collection of Cheon's series of "Dreaming Unification Protest Peace" paintings, offering a new perspective on the flags of a unified One Korea. Each of these paintings, born from the artist's stream of unconsciousness along with her counterpart North Korean art persona "Kim Il Soon," is a powerful peace protest, shedding light on the intricacies of communication, love, and a shared vision of a harmonious future for Haunted Koreas. The call for unification within the Koreas is a concerted effort to desire peace on earth, for dreaming global peace is about healing and reconciliation of tempered worlds divided. “Haunted Koreas: Mina Cheon Retrospective 2005-2025” is in part an extended Cheon’s “Haunted Koreas” traveling exhibition which includes her 2022 solo show at the American University Museum in Washington DC, with select pieces coming from the Inaugural 2020-2021 Asia Society Triennale, Cheon’s 2021 solo exhibition at the Korea Society, and her 2020-2021 solo exhibition at the Ethan Cohen Gallery, all in New York.” Some works are also on display concurrently in the “Art and Activism” exhibition at the Sheehan Gallery at Whitman College in Washington and come from the Asian Arts and Culture Center in Towson University in Maryland, the last site of the traveling exhibition in 2025. KODA is a nomadic social practice arts organization dedicated to incubating conceptual mid-career artists who are deeply committed to social justice practices. At the KODA House on Governors Island, New York, artists have studio residencies and survey shows under socio-political topical themes, such as Identity + Justice, Trauma + Healing, Land + Environment, Racial Justice, Borders + Boundaries, Healing, Mental Health, and this year, “Peace-Building.”
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