From Japan, an artsy wake up call

Here’s something you’ve probably never thought of doing when you’ve seen a stray dog fast asleep on the pavement: Wake it up with an alarm clock. Don’t worry – they soon get over the initial shock.
Japanese artist KyunChome wasn’t trying to be cruel to animals when she recorded the same scene with more than a dozen snoozing Bangkok mutts for the short film “Wake Up”, merely make a statement about the need to be alert to the threat of potential catastrophe at any moment.
The video is on view at the Jam Factory as part of “Shibukaru Matsuri Goes to Bangkok”, an exhibition that stretches the reach of an annual Japanese cultural festival to Thailand. It wraps up this weekend.
Shibukaru Matsuri has taken place in Tokyo every October for the past four years, organised by the female art collective Shibuya Parco. For the Thai edition, RCKT (Rocket Company) and Practical Design Studio have between them selected seven Thai and 10 Japanese artists, fashion designers and musicians – all women.
“We want to give female contemporary artists a space to show their talent,” says Takeshi Kudo of RCKT. “About 800 artists have participated over the years, most of them based in Tokyo.” The Bangkok version, spanning flatsurface and threedimensional art, video and fashion, is only the second one held overseas, following a trek to Singapore.
The aim in venturing abroad, Kudo says, is to sow the seeds of Japanese culture outside the familiar comics, animation and pop stars. “Bangkok’s economy and culture have grown a lot recently, Japanese businesses are expanding here, and more Thais are travelling to Japan. This event is a meeting point for the two cultures, created by female artists. It will inspire people to extend their creativity to other countries.”
The 10 Japanese chosen from among 800 applicants are Ai Madonna, Shizu  Mizuno, Ly, Noriko Nakazato, Tomoko Oshima, Saigo no Shudan, NuQ, Anzu Yasuhara aka Chinjao Rosu, Planet Haruborism and the aforementioned KyunChome. Practical Design Studio picked the six Thais – Yuree Kensaku, Yoswadi Krutklom, Jirayu Kooamornpattana, Minchaya Chayosumrit, Kanitta Meechubot and Patcha “Junejune” Poonpiriya – along with musical group Yellow Fang.
KyunChome’s film “Wake Up” took about a month to shoot. She set the alarm clock to ring – loudly – at the exact times when major earthquakes, tsunamis and terrorist attacks occurred. “It was a lovely experience, very funny,” she says. “Dogs behave just like humans when they wake up!”
Pooling their talents as Planet Haruborism, Tsubame Architects and Haruka Yamagishi have used holograms to contrive an “Imaginary Pet Shop” for the “near future”, stocked with an alien, a zombie and a dreamlike creature from beneath the sea. “Basically, it’s kind of a big joke” says Yamagishi, “because we have the stereotypical pet shop with cats, dogs, hamsters and things but never anything else. Why not sell aliens? Why are we always doing the same thing?”
This is her third Shibukaru Matsuri event. “For female artists the scene is really competitive, especially in Tokyo. Everybody wants to be famous and it’s really tough to stand out, although it’s a little easier these days because you can do selfpublicity on Twitter and Facebook.”
Performance art is presented by the popular indie girl band Yellow Fang – Praewa Chirapravati Na Ayudhaya, Pimporn Metchanun and Piyamas Meunprasertdee. Japanese filmmaker Jiro San made a short film of one of their lives shows and it’s screening as “Can’t Stop Yellow Fang”. “There’s no editing – just the raw experience of our show,” says Praewa. “We adjusted our playlist to make the music continuous, without any pauses or conversation.
“Our music doesn’t actually come right out and say, ‘I love you’, or anything. There’s no need for complete sentences, but instead there are hints of love and affection that the audience can interpret according to their own experiences. When we performed in Japan recently, no one understood the Thai lyrics, but they could feel what we were saying in the music, and that’s what we’ve tried to transfer here.”
“Through the Window” by wellknown Thai collage artist Jirayu Kooamornpattana involves glimpses out the same window at different times of day, but she suggests that you can instead be looking inside your own mind.
As for perceptible differences between art created by males and that created by females, Jirayu doesn’t believe there are any. “Every artist has a unique and original style. Perhaps the working process for female artists is more detailoriented, in keeping with their nature. But that’s all. And in terms of becoming successful, these day, thanks to new media, we can all get a lot of exposure on our own and through our friends.”

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Final few days

“Shibukaru Matsuri Goes to Bangkok” continues through Sunday, daily from 11am to 8pm, at the Jam Factory on Khlong San Road.
Find out more at www.facebook.com/shibukarubangkok and http://Shibukaru.com.