Jun Inoue
VISION GATE – “Hitoshobu (OneShot)”
I wanted my work to stimulate the senses of the audience watching, ultimately expanding their field of vision.
At a time when travelling and discovering new cultures has become difficult, the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan, has launched an initiative to promote the uniqueness and multi-dimensional appeal of the Japanese culture. Called CULTURE GATE to JAPAN, the project consists in a series of exhibitions held at seven airports across the country. The Tokyo International Haneda Airport and the Narita International Airport are both hosting VISION GATE as part of the initiative: an exhibition of eight groups of Japanese artists from all generations curated by MoMA Senior Curator of Architecture & Design Paola Antonelli. While Yuri Suzuki and Miyu Hosoi present the sound installation « Crowd Cloud », six groups of artists present their vision of Japanese tradition and future through a series of videos displayed in the airport’s arrival concourse and various places. acky bright, Jun Inoue, Mariko Mori, Monika Mogi, PARTY, and Sachiko Kodama all give their own interpretation of their country’s unique culture for people to experience just as they get off the plane…
What does the idea of ‘vision’ evoke to you as an artist?
Sometimes, unexpected events can turn the world into something completely different than what it used to be. The advertisements and visuals at airports play a very important role to give the travelers the impression of that country. I wanted my video to stimulate the senses of the person watching, ultimately expanding their field of vision, and enriching their stay in Japan.
How much is your work influenced by your Japanese roots, and the tension between past and present, tradition and innovation in Japanese culture?
I created this work while listening to hip-hop music. The piece in this video was born using materials from Europe and the United States, but the meditation before the creation process and the way I express myself are greatly influenced by Buddhist beliefs and Japanese aesthetics. I think that the characteristic of Japanese people, who are good at blending traditional culture with new ways of expressing themselves, also influences my work.
Can you tell us about your work presented for ‘VISION GATE’ and displaying it in an airport as opposed to an art gallery?
I usually create two-dimensional works, murals, and live paintings. This time, because the video becomes a piece of art in itself, I teamed up with videographer Naoto Sakamoto on the theme of the pattern I was drawing. By developing the work on the monitor installed at the airport, I was conscious of bringing on screen a live feeling you might have been deprived from due to Covid-19. The act of watching body expressions such as live performances or acting are one of the essential stimuli for creativity. If I was able to stimulate, even just a little, the senses of people who watched my images – then creating this work definitely would have had a meaning.
