SHAPESHIFTING FROM RABBIT TO DRAGON
あけましたおめでとう、Happy Asian New Year!
Wishing you the very best for the year. In 2022, I was able to spend time with family & childhood in Japan. Returning to Japan last year (as well as travelling to America’s west coast for work & pleasure) I continued my nostaglic journey, meeting up with good friends from early adulthood. Exciting new change should arrive with the dragon, but hopefully, we will walk new paths with old friends as well as new.
It’s fitting that last year became the year of retrospectives. Even my latest film, water水｜beauty美｜kabuku傾｜hibiku響 was a commission from Suntory Whisky to look back at 100 years of whisky-making in Japan. Though it is branded content, I am proud to say I was able to push the idea that their Japanese whisky-making is inspired by nature. Some of their campaigns already go in this direction, so it was not a stretch, but I was able to explore the vitalist beliefs that live on through concepts of artisanship in Japan. You’d never know it walking around Tokyo, but I was surprised to realise how connected Japanese folks, including me, are to this history that predates modern times. Take a look & tell me your impressions. I’d love to hear from you.
2023 - A YEAR OF RETROSPECTIVES
Continuing my recap of last year (I know, better late than never right?), the miasma of COVID 19 obscured T3511 (made with Heather Dewey-Hagborg) for a while, but Mu Hybrid Artspace, Eindhoven & Fridman Gallery, NYC had shows before the pandemic years. The 4 screen piece follows Heather’s biohacker exploits, as she cyber-stalks the identity of a mystery man whose DNA she isolated from a saliva sample. Thanks to a little “genetic engineering” of our own, it re-emerged last year in single channel form as a short film featured in Filmmaker Magazine.
As you will recognise, the theme of DNA surveillance has grown even more pertinent, since we made the initial piece.
Over the summer, MOMA, had a group show of contemporary Latin American art called Chosen Memories, which included pieces I photographed and/or printed for Leandro Katz back in the 1980s. They happen to be the first artworks I worked on professionally, so it’s good to see they also continue to have relevance today.
In February & March, my 1991 documentary Boneshop of the Heart even screened at The National Gallery of Art alongside Called to Create: Black Artists of the American South, a show featuring work by three of the artists in my film.
Last but not least, I was very proud to have The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles install Baltimore, an homage to filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles that I filmed for Isaac Julien. The piece accompanied Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898-1971, another very important unearthing of hidden history.
2024 - RIDING THE DRAGON
A ride on the dragon this year is bound to be unpredictable, so please watch your step. At the same time, there’s no point fighting the current if it’s too strong, so I intend to enjoy the ride.
There are a few projects brewing I hope to have news about soon. Reunions in recent years with friends and collaborators have brought me much joy, so I hope to continue reconnecting. I also hope to do a better job keeping in touch (and not so late!). so reach out and tell me how you are doing!
Meanwhile, more hopes for a very good spring ahead. I look forward to meeting or at least communicating with you in the very near future. All best!!
SH