Eating Tour For Freedom#2

Eating Tour For Freedom#2
2023
Performance, single channel video, 04’22”

The Akasaka Press Center, the only U.S. military facility within Tokyo’s 23 wards, remains American territory that has not been returned to Japan. This unique space is adjacent to the lush Aoyama Park, where the rustling of trees and children’s playful voices intermingle with the sounds of U.S. military aircraft taking off and landing as they move between other bases. In this work, Yamaguchi emerges from the park side with a brisk stride and proceeds to make a sandwich in front of the Press Center’s fence. For the sandwich filling, he uses umeboshi (pickled plum), drawing inspiration from the “hinomaru bento” (a lunch box resembling the Japanese flag), which symbolizes Japan’s wartime mentality. He then pushes the sandwich through a gap in the fence and eats it after it has passed through American territory.

Through this symbolic act, Yamaguchi attempts to intervene in American territory that exists within Japan yet is inaccessible to Japanese citizens, and to bring it back to his body on the Japanese side.

Eating Tour For Freedom#2
Performance, single channel video
EXHIBITION WORK IN PROGRESS 2023
Tokyo University of the Arts (Ibaraki, Japan), 2023

Eating Tour For Freedom#2
Performance, Single channel video
MELTING WALLS
MURMURCONTEMPORARY(Montreux, Switzerland)

-Appearance–

Apr 6 – May 4, 2024
MELTING WALLS
MURMURCONTEMPORARY, Montreux, Switzerland

Oct 20 – Oct 29, 2023
Itsumono Sono aida
Shinyurakucho#Sonoaida, Tokyo, Japan

Jan 3 – Jan 7, 2023
EXHIBITION WORK IN PROGRESS 2023
Tokyo University of the Arts (Ibaraki, Japan), 2023