Kyoto 2012
Areas for Action – Kyoto
Kyoto Art Center (co-sponsored by Kyoto City University of Arts)
Residency September 10 – November 14, 2012
Exhibition November 5 – December 14, 2012
Kyoto Art Center and Kyoto City University of Arts jointly invite one visual artist per year to join musicians, dance and theater groups from all over the world for residencies. Kyoto City University of Arts is one of the leading art schools in Japan. The residency includes a large studio, an assistant, a budget, access to photo and film equipment, and a high-quality photo printer.
The focus of the residency was two types of work: photoshoots based on AFA –Cut Out Male/Female, and filming of a video called Incidental Music. For the photoshoots smaller versions of images of some of earlier work were printed on a cheap office printer. Many of the images came from the two previous AFA performances in New York and Shenzhen. A group of participants used these prints as starter material to transform themselves as they wanted. The results were photographed, and the new printed photographs were added for the next shoot, and so on. Weeks of accumulated photo fragments, and an exhibition of photographs, then served as the backdrop for the 5-hour performance AFA – Kyoto: Photo Cut Out.
For AFA – Kyoto: Photo Cut Out, a group of 5 volunteer performers accessed the pool of photo fragments, scissors, tape, digital cameras and photo printers. The performers were able to take photographs (which they did mostly of each other), and print images during the performance. Almost everyone who visited the gallery joined in. By the end of the performance there was no distinction left between performers and audience. Someone brought a guitar, sat on the floor and played music, another brought a harmonica. The ongoing action was photographed to be added to future performances.
Areas for Action – Kyoto
Kyoto Art Center (co-sponsored by Kyoto City University of Arts)
Residency September 10 – November 14, 2012
Exhibition November 5 – December 14, 2012
Kyoto Art Center and Kyoto City University of Arts jointly invite one visual artist per year to join musicians, dance and theater groups from all over the world for residencies. Kyoto City University of Arts is one of the leading art schools in Japan. The residency includes a large studio, an assistant, a budget, access to photo and film equipment, and a high-quality photo printer.
The focus of the residency was two types of work: photoshoots based on AFA –Cut Out Male/Female, and filming of a video called Incidental Music. For the photoshoots smaller versions of images of some of earlier work were printed on a cheap office printer. Many of the images came from the two previous AFA performances in New York and Shenzhen. A group of participants used these prints as starter material to transform themselves as they wanted. The results were photographed, and the new printed photographs were added for the next shoot, and so on. Weeks of accumulated photo fragments, and an exhibition of photographs, then served as the backdrop for the 5-hour performance AFA – Kyoto: Photo Cut Out.
For AFA – Kyoto: Photo Cut Out, a group of 5 volunteer performers accessed the pool of photo fragments, scissors, tape, digital cameras and photo printers. The performers were able to take photographs (which they did mostly of each other), and print images during the performance. Almost everyone who visited the gallery joined in. By the end of the performance there was no distinction left between performers and audience. Someone brought a guitar, sat on the floor and played music, another brought a harmonica. The ongoing action was photographed to be added to future performances.
