String Theory: Detangling a Must-See Community Performance Event

A collaborative community performance of “C’est pas là, c’est par là (It’s Not That Way, It’s This Way)” Credit: Courtesy of Juhyung Lee

A tangled bunch of string may please playful kittens, but it’s not much fun for busy humans. South Korean-born artist Juhyung Lee wondered: What if the webby mass were the size of a parking lot and numerous people untangled it together to a musical score and cool lighting? Attendees find out firsthand at “C’est pas là, c’est par là (It’s Not That Way, It’s This Way),” a community performance event presented by the Flynn and South End Arts + Business Association at the South End Art Hop. Lee creates a giant string web on-site and invites participants to collaborate to deconstruct it by walking and passing the strings over and under each other. It’s an apt metaphor for our post-pandemic interactions, and the end is a must-see.