The title '33 Degrees' is a whimsical reference to the geographical position of Tokyo and Melbourne, which are roughly 33 degrees in the northern and southern hemispheres respectively. Using this 'mirror' motif the encompassing theme for the show is cross-cultural 'reflection'.
A four man exhibition in which Marcel Cousins and Merric Brettle [ Australian ], Yumiko Furukawa and Atsushi Shimuzi [Japanese] observe and decipher how Australia, as a western outpost, is coming to terms with its Asian neighbours and Japan is having to come to terms with western influences and still retain its 'Japanese- ness'.
33 Degrees deals with the 'identity' theme: the four artists have chosen to produce 3 dimensional pieces in an installation - based exhibition.
What drives us to create an artificial environment- real versus virtual. How do we emotionally cope?
How do we accept a cultural viewpoint other than our own?
Marcel Cousins derives his inspiration through language written or visual. While language helps us to clarify the world we live in, it also destabilises the very principles that it sets out to carve in stone. Language by nature with its endless creative capacity can't help but generate unexpected meanings. Meaning is therefore a transient phenomenon that keeps changing over time for a series of different audiences.
Yumiko Furukawa creates works on the basis of reading experiences. From the process of understanding and interpreting to the actual making- Yumiko calls this 'the association game'. He creates his sculptural objects showing the image of Haruki Murakami's novel, the world of Kurt Vonnegut Jr., and Anne Frank's Diary...
Even if you and I read the same novel by Kurt Vonnegut Jr., we know how differently we understand it and imagine it. How often are we disappointed when we see the movie created from the original novel? There is also the gap of perception. Yumiko calls it " just 'works of art' - the moment you feel the gap between my image and yours". Interface can be defined as the process by which two or more bodies enmesh and understand each other: ie: cultures. Interface can also be defined as the intercommunication between various social groups. Merric Brettle works question how we as humans cope with the interface of culture and technology. The real world vs the computer world. How do people deal with the endless possibilities and restrictions involved?
"A global marketplace and the unstoppable advance of the Internet ensures that cultures worldwide will enmesh. It is this enmeshment that intrigues and so the concept of interface is the theme of my [Merric] pieces"
33 Degrees refers to a possession be it physical or metaphorical, which is slightly off centre. As artists from the Asia Pacific region that share an ideal with pop culture- 33 Degrees is an exhibition of wit and charm. Questions of identity, interpretation, technology, cultural differences, truth and understanding in a global world. It's up to YOU to play the association game of imagination, with these beautifully made objects of art.
All four artists have studied together and completed their Masters of Fine Art at Ueno University of Fine Art, Tokyo Japan. |
