• (The) Research of the performance art and culture
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• no.35
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• pp.175-202
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• 2017

In this article, I focused on the identity of the Japanese magician, Tenkatsu(天勝), who appeared in Exhibition of Joseon, 1915, and the social gaze and reverberation of them. I would like to see how Tenkatsu group appeared, how it was active, and how it was utilized. Because It was a big stimulus for traditional performing artists. 'Ma-sul' was a new word, taking the place of 'Hwan-sul(幻術)' or 'Hwan-hee'(幻?) for a term of english 'Magic'. In the various articles published during the Japanese colonial period, we can find the performers of the contemporary magic and the Korean artists who tried to make them nationalized. In the mid-1920s, a magician of Korean origin appeared. Kim Mun-phil(김문필), Park Chang-sun(박창순), Kim Wan-shil(김완실) were them. They had experience of studying abroad, such as Russia, and were also helped by religion, the Chondo-kyo. They attracted popularity while touring around the country. Incidents of social problems often arise by linking magic to a form of fraud, though. But the appearance of a Korean magician confirms the existence of a performer who actively engages in new performances.