performance
'The Tattooer'- based on a tale by Junichiro Tanizaki -
Hoogtij #21, Den Haag, NL
premier 04.06.2010.
Last weekend was a premier of a performance piece that I collaborated with a group
Scheveningen.
Its inspiration was Japanese fetiscism and eroticism that appear in a novel The Tatooer written by Tanizaki Junichiro. I contributed the olfactory part of this sensory performance.
beauty does not lie in the object per se; rather, in the nuances of the tapestry arisen from the interrelation among objects and shadows. a noctilucent jewel heighten luster in dark, contrary to degrading its charm in the daylight. no beauty exists without the function of shadows.In Praise of Shadows translation: yotaplease enjoy our debut work inspired by Tanizaki's novel.It's pity that I cannot show you smell in the photos.
A sound of friction. A sound of water echoing in a Suikin-kutu. Very tactile.
The performer is a dancer of NDT.
After this, the performer disappears and the scene changes, then she show the tattoo.
I've diffused two scents.
The first scent: Jinko, an incense that used to be used permanently in the red light districts in old days of Japan. It symbolizes love, desire, and eroticism.
The second scent: Shoko, an incense that is used in the Bhuddistic ceremonies and funerals. It symbolizes the death and purification.
Shoko is made of multiple fragrant wood, including Jinko. The more expensive the Shoko (the scent of death) is, the closer its scent becomes to Jinko (the scent of love).
This shows a certain irony.
I used these two scents to show such realism in old Japanese days and to make us possible to experience it by means of smell.
It was only a 20 minutes performance, but was very well received.
Scheveningen:www.sukebeningen.orgdance: Chiaki Horita (NDT)
music: Noriko Koide
electronics: Yota Morimoto
tattoo: Oyuki
olfactory art: Maki Ueda
percusion: Ryoko Imai
supervision: Akane Takada
(ordering beers...)
