Project 1 — Rei Kakiuchi

photo : Sander van Wettum

Escapology - ver2
01/12/2023-27/12/2023
Group exhibition “Other Entanglements”
Het Archief, Rotterdam

installation / performance
conch shells, metal shelf, carpets, audio equipments
size variable

photo 1/2/3/4/5/6/7 : Sander van Wettum
8/9/10/11 : Jan Andriaans
assistant performer: Gordon H. Williams

The performance weaves together my ancestor's immigration story from China to Japan and his collection of Edison's wax-record player and conch horns, both sharing rotational structures. I demonstrated playing the conch horn, featuring John Cage's "Inlet." Throughout the performance, I introduced my "Japanese Pervert" persona, which became an unexpected but significant artistic character that will continue to appear in future works.

The performance creates a sense of vertigo for the audience, offering no stable narrative pathway. This disorientation potentially mirrors the experience of our time, combining research elements with personal history in a humorous yet unsettling presentation. The persona represents someone people might avoid yet embodies a unique artistic charisma and a reluctant point of contact between people.