Unbalanced Walk

Unbalanced Walk
2023
Performance, single channel video, 08’09”

Shortly after beginning his new life in Paris, Yamaguchi performed a unique walk from his home to Place du Châtelet, covering a straight 2km distance while balancing an umbrella on his fingertip. This act originates from a childhood game he played in his hometown of Ishikawa Prefecture, a region known for its unpredictable weather, where the saying goes, “Forget your lunch, but never your umbrella.” A small camera attached to the tip of the umbrella captured not only the artist’s unsteady movement but also the diverse inhabitants of Paris – from people lying on the streets to indifferent tourists walking by. Scenes where Yamaguchi loses balance and drops the umbrella are edited in slow motion.

However, this performance came to an unexpected end. Near Place du Châtelet, Yamaguchi encountered a police blockade attempting to suppress a rally calling for solidarity with Palestine, making it impossible for him to proceed further. Through this work, Yamaguchi symbolically condenses his anxiety about starting a new life as an artist in a foreign land and the instability of society into a single umbrella striving to maintain balance.