Yokohama Museum of Art is currently hosting a smart exhibition titled "Non-sect Radical: Contemporary Photography III" (until 9/20). Ahlam Shibli portrays Bedouins' everyday life under the conflict between Israel and Palestine, Ishikawa Mao Filipino dancers in an US Marine bar in Okinawa, and Yoneda Tomoko shows scenes that look at first sight like nothing but just beautiful landscapes, but are in fact battle grounds and mine fields in Kosovo or along the North Korean border. Anri Sala shows a video of a young man whistling the launch and landing sounds of a Tomahawk missile that flash back in the viewer’s mind when in the following video kids kick a ball in a football game. The exhibits present fragments of a reality that is usually hidden from our eyes, and that we're mostly unaware of. The fact that Takamine Tadasu’s video "Mr. Kimura" was taken out of the program shortly before the exhibition’s opening, however, is a crucial drawback for this otherwise excellent show.
"It lacks the finishing touch" explains Amano Taro, the curator in charge, rash without even letting me start my interrogation. Well, he has a point there. "Mr. Kimura" is a short little film of 9 minutes length, featuring only the handicapped Mr. Kimura and Takamine himself (at least the artist’s eyes, hands and voice). But still, it would have been a valuable competition among all those other works that deal with war, discrimination, power and control. Takamine touches upon a strong impulse deep inside an individual’s mind, in contrast to contributions that focus on the outside world, which could certainly have resulted in a synergy effect when shows at the same exhibition. Put aside the video’s actual quality, this point I suppose is what Amano refers to in his comment.
August 2001 (photo by Ohtaka Kanako)
Kimura-san is a victim of the Morinaga arsenic milk poisoning incident*). While his consciousness and thoughts are perfectly clear, he can't use his arms, legs and mouth properly. His urge to express himself is higher than average, which explains his memberships in the performance troupe Taihen and a band. Takamine reportedly sensed an affinity with Kimura-san, and during five years when the artist lived in Kyoto he volunteered to take care of his friend. Of course, this care involved also the satisfaction of sexual needs. A matter of course it is because in terms of libido Kimura-san is a healthy man, but just can't help himself.
Most of the time the camera is focused on Kimura-san as he lies in his bed. Identical black and white pictures are projected onto two screens, suddenly interrupted by close-ups of eyes in an assymetric arrangement on the two screens. These are the eyes of Takamine, taken during a previous performance using the same visuals. The result is a video inside a performance inside a video. The hand that unbuttons Kimura-san’s pajama (?) and fondles his upper body is likely to be Takamine’s too. His hand moves slowly from the abdomen up to his chest, where it plays carefully with Kimura-san’s papillas. Then it moves down and grips the penis…
The video comes with Takamine’s own "poor" (as he evaluates himself) English narration: "I just don't feel comfortable with the English term 'disabled'", "neither Kimura-san nor myself are gay", "when I asked him whether I can show my work in public, he answered 'yes, go ahead'", etc. The English narration spoken by a Japanese along with Japanese subtitles, the eyes that appear from time to time, and the monochromatic images create a slightly unrealistic feel. Takamine continues to rub Kimura-san’s penis, accompanied by Kimura-san’s voice that was added during the editing process. Then, the ejaculation, filmed in detail, shown in slow-motion.
The scene is followed by scaringly loud laughter as you've probably never heard it before. Needless to mention that it’s the relieved laughter of the satisfied Kimura-san. Suddenly the video switches to colour. Kimura-san laughs on, Takamine carries on shooting him, and the viewer nearly hits the roof. That’s "Mr. Kimura", the film that was kicked out of the program at Yokohama Museum of Art.
[ to be continued >> Yokohama Museum of Art blunders, pt. 2 ]
*) The Morinaga arsenic milk poisoning incident: In 1955, baby formula fabricated by Morinaga Milk Industry was poisoned with arsenic, which resulted in the deaths of 138 nurslings. More than 10,000 children are said to have walked away with physical handicaps.
Ozaki Tetsuya / Editor in chief / REALTOKYO