Video Installation
presented
18. September 2009 "Home is where the head hangs", Center of Contemporary Art Ortenau (CoCAO), Sasbachwalden
15. Oct 2009 NY Biennale Art, New York
the story:
The cat "Tama-chan" brings golds to his young master, who had a rich family but becomes poor because of his gambling-hobby. The young master decides to follow Tama-chan because it gets thiner and thiner, and he wants to find out where it finds the golds. Once he realises that Tama-chan prays to god to exchanges its body to gold, he regrets his bad hobby but it was too late. He uses the last gold from Tama-chan and quit his gambling-hobby, becomes rich again afterward.
this is one of the legen of this cat. although it's not the only one but the "exchanging body to money" (as prostitution) idea comes into my mind to make this piece.
The work shows two desire of human nature, Material (Money) and Sex (Genital of a man). Since money was being created, the "artificial desire" of human-beings was also created. Desire of possession causes fights, wars, thieves, we say that war is bad, thieves must be punished.
Sex as a nature desire, which is meant to reproduce generations, and is defined by moral: porn is dirty, public naked is not allowed, erected penis is not art (?).
The combination of these two desires, in this tradition symbol, can be traced, was being used by the society, here is another history about this cat:
-- One of the most plausible reasons for its rapid rise to popularity in the Meiji Period involves the sex industry. In the secluded Edo Period, during which Japan closed its doors to the outside world, an indigenous "amusement" culture grew side by side with the expanding power of the merchant class.
Special zones ("Yuukaku;" soap land in modern parlance) sprang up to provide female companionship (prostitution) and other forms of merriment. Many "houses of amusement" were equipped with a "good-luck shelf" on which were displayed lucky charms in the shape of the male sexual organ. Even today, various localities in Japan still hold an annual fertility festival, during which a gigantic wooden penis is paraded through the streets as an offering for good harvests and prosperity. ---
"if I need money, I wing my dick", prostitution existes in everywhere, art creation is manipulated by different factors which make artist prostitute to the art market.
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Maneki Neko/ Die Geldkatze (Japanisches Märchen)
2009
Video
Die Katze "Tama-chan" bringt ihrem Jungen Besitzer Gold, wann immer er sie wegschickt. Dieser kam aus einer reichen Familie, aber verlor sein ganzes Geld, da sein Hobby aus herumlungern bestand. Weil die Katze aber jedes mal dünner und dünner wurde, beschloss er, ihr zu folgen, um zu sehen, woher sie das ganze Gold hatte. Er folgte ihr tief in den Wald und dort sah er, wie Tama-chan zu einem Gott betete und ein Stück ihres Körpers für Gold eintauschte.
Als er das sah, bereut er sein schlechtes Hobby, aber es war zu spät. Die Katze war verschwunden. Er gibt das Herumgammeln auf, benutzt das letzte Geld von Tama-chan und wird wieder reich.
Dies ist eine der Legenden über diese Katze.
Als sie mir begegnete, interessierte mich die Assotiation von: den Körper gegen Geld eintauschen (Prostitution) und führte zu dieser Arbeit.
