Universes in Universe - Worlds of Art

49th Venice Biennale
10 June - 4 November 2001

Venice / 2001 / Plateau / Arsenale

 

 
Tatsumi Orimoto
From an interview by Pat Binder and Gerhard Haupt.

»Art - Mama« is a work in which I combine daily life with art. My art is daily life, my daily life is art. For a few years I've been living with my mother, who's very sick. Every day I care for her, cook for her, help her with everything. Although she can walk, it's very strenuous for her, so she stays in bed almost all day. She also has problems with her memory, but she recognizes me. Yes, it's difficult; my daily life is devoted to her. I thought that if that's the situation I'm going to be in, then we'll just make art out of it.

»Art - Mama« started four or five years ago, but it's part of the development of my work as a whole over the past ten years. During this time, one of the things I've used has been bread. Its symbolic meaning began to interest me when a friend of mine told me that for Christians, bread signifies the body. I began the work with bread by doing performances with it in galleries and museums in Tokyo, and then in public spaces, on the streets, in train stations, in hotels, etc., where you meet people from all different directions. Later, my performances brought me to Europe and America.

I'm interested in people, and my artistic work is communication. »Art - Mama« is the work that I do together with my mother, and I imagine that it will continue for another couple of years.
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Tatsumi Orimoto
© Interview, photos:
Gerhard Haupt & Pat Binder

 

 

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