Summer trips, Autumn tips and Pork Pies.

I have been in Europe for just over two weeks. It was a late honeymoon/ art viewing trip. Moving by train, we travelled to Venice and Kassel, ending up in London. I am currently reveiwing my photos and notes of the Biennale and Documenta 12, and hope to publish something, perhaps an audio slidehow, here soon. In the meantime, I was interviewed by Ashley Rawlings, editor of Tablog on Tokyo Art Beat in Tokyo. This can be read here: Tablog Interview.
We missed the forty degree heat wave in Tokyo thankfully. The last of the cicadas are buzzing in the trees and the air conditioners are being used less. Exhibitions and galleries are begining to wake from their summer slumber too - Mizuma Art Gallery is currently showing Jun Nguyen-Hatsushiba's new film. Jun was one of the first artists I worked with on the Yokohama Triennale 2001. I am writing a review of the show for ArtIt magazine now. A former student of our MAD course, Makoto Hashimoto, has also just opened his first curated project at BankART Studio NYK, Yokohama. It is called 'Dialogue with the City' and shows works by seven relatively unknown Japanese artists.
I returned to Tokyo from London carrying the customary few food items which go off quite quickly. This time it was several pork pies and a jar of Branston pickle. Pork pies cannot be bought in Tokyo as far as I know. I get the urge to eat one perhaps twice a year. Since some years back I have often brought back certain foods from London with the specific purpose of eating them in Tokyo. I remember bringing back several almond criossants from my favourite cafe, Maison Bertaux in Greek Street, and enjoying the fetishistic pleasure of eating them at home in Tokyo, knowing that I was very likely the only person in Japan doing so. It's a rather silly pleasure, but a pleasure nevertheless. This time it was pork pies. The last one disappeared two days ago.
September means start of teaching. My classes at Musashino Art University begin this Friday and MAD starts next week. I have also been asked to lecture at BankART School in October. So in preparation for this I am currently re-booting my Japanese mind and vocabulary. It seems always to take a week or so for the language to come back, even though I am back physically.

Comments

[Mark]

Hi Roger

I was contacted on Sunday by Charlie Cant through facebook.

As we are all going through our middle youth it seems a natural place to meet.

I've been having fun looking at your websites and I like the audiio slideshows (can you really vote for dogs in Japan?) : )

Give me a shout, drop a line or come and play at being a teenager on facebook.

Mark