Performance artists Colin Riddle and James Topple, also known as “Tiger and Bear” have been in the media a lot these days. “It’s kind of like S and M,” Colin agrees. “We want to lose control. We don’t care what you write about us.” Colin has just moments ago broken six days of living as a mute to talk with The One One Four about what it is he and James do. “The media is a big part of it,” they say, “but mostly, its for our own enjoyment, there is no goal really, it is what it is.” We talked a lot in the beginning about the nature of their project and what it is they hope to achieve, Colin jotting notes on a pad and passing them to James to read. James, a print-maker, poet and performer, who is not comfortable with his work being contextualized, talked about the myth of the tiger and bear as the creation of Korean identity and how they are using the myth to engage with people and understand Korea’s modernization. “It’s really all about hanging around with Go Go Star and eating samgyeopsal in the mountains.”  It’s clear that there is not much to be learned about what they do by talking about it. It is a performance and the doing and experiencing of it is where their art exists. “So let’s go.” I suggest, “Let’s go see this thing in action.” “No,” says James,”This is already it, us talking about Go Go Star with you over samgyeopsal and him (Colin) not talking. That’s what it is.”

Colin and James have only been in Korea eight months. They met in university back in England were they were both studying art. James continues to work as a print-maker on pieces that he describes as “offensive.” Colin describes his work here in hurried scribbles on a notepad, “I’m a mime. For kindergarten kids, they love it.” The white face paint he is wearing as an homage to a member of Go Go Star who goes by the name “The Face” is badly cracking. “We really don’t like hanging around with people, we mostly keep to ourselves or hang out with Go Go Star.” says James while Colin has excused himself to go to the toilet. When he returns his face paint is gone, and for the first time in six days he speaks, “Is the interview over?” he asked. “Is that the first thing you’ve said in six days?” I ask.”Yeah, I might have said “shit” or something once or twice when he was trying to grab my bum.” James grins slyly and jabs a hand at Colin’s waist. “So what are you going to write about us?” James asks, “are going to slag us off?” Earlier I had admitted to them that before I met them I had my suspicions, based on what I had read about them, that they were just a pair of media whores. They both eagerly insisted it was true.

“So what’s next for Tiger and Bear?” I ask. “We want to go to North Korea and perform for Kim Jung-il.” says James. “Won’t it be hard to get in to the country?” I ask. “No, Kim Jung-il will invite us. We are one hundred percent sure of that. He will invite us.” Besides continuing their work with Go Go Star, Tiger and Bear want to get into television and film. They are currently planning an “endorsement” for Daegu Pockets TV. “We want to get tramps, I guess you call them bums, and have them be in it, you know like just film them as part of the endorsement, like holding up copies of the magazine and that.”

Later in the night I went out with Tiger and Bear into the streets of downtown Daegu to see the kinds of reactions they got. For the most part they only got stares and a few shouts of “Hello” and “I love you.” Having photos taken with people is a big part of their shtick even when it is unsolicited. Tiger and Bear would rush up to people at the slightest provocation and impose themselves on unsuspecting people, grabbing them and mugging for the camera amidst nervous laughs and shielded faces. There wasn’t much talk about myth or the modernization of Korea. Earlier I had asked them if all of this wasn’t some kind of reaction to the unwanted attention Koreans often give to foreigners. They both insisted that that had nothing to do with it.

Toward the end of the night after copious amounts of drink had been consumed James talked about his engagement to a local girl and his plans to stay on in Korea. Colin was not so certain about his future here and said he missed his country quite a bit. As we parted Colin asked again what I was planning on writing about them and I told him I wasn’t sure. “Please, man, I beg of you, slag us off, no one has slagged us off in the media yet.” “I’ll do my best,” I promised, and said goodnight to Tiger and Bear wondering if I would keep a promise I had made earlier to title the piece “Colin is a Cunt”.

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