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cheerful02_ivyKen Miyake was fascinated by video poetry at the Espace Louis Vuitton Osaka "Isaac Julien" exhibition
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British artist Isaac Julien's solo exhibition is being held at Espace Louis Vuitton Osaka until Sunday, September 22. Ken Miyake, who is an art expert and also an art collector who decorates his house with works by his favorite artists, explained the appeal of "Ten Thousand Waves" which will be shown for the first time in Japan. Isaac Julien will also comment on his work.
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Global migration and workforce. Expressing issues that are still relevant today through art
Isaac Julien, who started his career as one of the leaders of the movement of British filmmakers who used video as a means of expressing social action, always raises contemporary issues through his video works. The video installation Ten Thousand Waves, which was shown at the 17th Sydney Biennale in 2010, depicts 23 illegal Chinese workers collecting shellfish in Morecambe Bay, northern England. The theme of this work is based on a tragic accident that lost their lives.
“I created this work about 14 years ago, but in my opinion the global societal movements it deals with remain a huge political issue. This incident is told in an allegory. This is not from my perspective, but from the perspective of Mazu, a goddess worshiped by people involved in the fishing industry in China's Fujian province. In China, There is a legend that they will bring the dead back to life, so I created this work to pay tribute to those who died in shipwrecks.” (Isaac Julien)
After six years of research and dialogue, Julien added a cast that included such renowned actors as Maggie Cheung and Zhao Tao, who agreed with his idea, and artist Yang Fudong of Greater China, including calligrapher Gong Fagen.
Viewers who see the work will feel swept away and trapped in a floating sea.
When you walk into the room (Ten Thousand Waves), you forget time or where you are...you feel as if you have walked into a labyrinth. Nine large screens are installed in a space painted in Klein Blue, and viewers can freely walk between the screens displaying different images and watch the approximately 50-minute work while moving.
“When it comes to setting up the space itself, the color blue also has a theme. Blue is the color of the sea. This shows the ocean where Chinese workers died, and may also be associated with the color Yves Klein Blue. The reason why I chose nine screens was because I wanted to completely change the image viewing experience. As the viewer moves around and views it from various positions, I want the viewer to feel the immersive feeling of being surrounded by this installation art. I think it is a special experience where you can move freely and see things from different perspectives and angles.” (Isaac Julien)
“As the title "Ten Thousand Waves", the audience is guided as if drifting or trapped in the rolling ocean. Likewise with the way these works are presented, and the way the audience is moved by this collection of works...I thought works like that are very interesting." (Ken Miyake)
”Warmth like a mother's body”――――The memories felt like they were coming back to life.
“The images would flicker from screen to screen at different times, and sometimes light up at the same time, so my feet would naturally move to different places instead of staying in one place. By moving the angle of view, It felt like I was floating in the ocean waiting for the waves...The sound suddenly stopped again, and just when I thought I was surrounded by silence, the sound grew louder. It feels like people are moved, like waves that come and go. This space is also blue and looks like an ocean, so it feels like you are being swallowed by a sea of images that Isaac created. But even so, whatever it is, I feel like it brings back memories of [the warmth of a mother's body]. It's a very weird feeling, and it's a artworks that makes me want to see it again and again.
Although this work is based on an real maritime accident, there are also fictions created by Isaac in the story. There are many moments in the 50 minute film that touched my heart. I believe that everyone feels different things when looking at a work of art, so I thought it would be interesting to visit close friends and share different feelings.”
I love the idea that art “there” as a part of life.
Miyake-san was influenced by his grandfather, who worked at an art museum, and was exposed to art on a daily basis from an early age. He loves art and is also an art collector.
“The museum where my grandpa worked was our meeting place. While waiting for him to finish his work, I looked at the exhibition there. That's why, art has been around me since I was young.
When I saw Tomoo Gokita's monochrome portrait more than ten years ago, I was fascinated by the monochrome metallic charm and fell in love at first sight. “I wanted to have Gokita-san's artwork at home”, and that's when I became really interested in art. I have previously bought silk screen prints and other works, but this is the first time I want to have a canvas work at home.
For me, art is something that must exist in everyday life. I really love the way things appear naturally in my view as I go about my daily life. Rather than facing it and seeing it again, I preferred the idea of it “there” as part of my life.
A new visual experience of video art that immerses us into a visual world.
Benches painted in Klein Blue are scattered throughout the room, blending in with the walls. “I wanted to create a new way of looking at video art,''[Isaac Julien]. When you sit in a chair between the screens and watch, many images unfold before your eyes. Surrounded by sound, you immediately enter the world of work. By viewing the work from various points of view, such as standing, walking between the screens, or sitting in a chair, you can become more immersed in the world of the work of art.
I think it is very important to know the background of a work or artist.
“Art enhances a person's creativity. When I direct concerts myself, sometimes I get ideas from art. And vice versa, sometimes I feel music from works of art. It's very important to know the artist's background, because of that you can enjoy their work more and fall in love with the artist even more.”
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See you in the next translation~ ♡
