Dan Isomura @danisomura - Tumblr Blog

“A glass of water/1000000000000000000000000 water molecule” 2017 video and installation

Dan Isomura / 磯村暖

In this project, Dan Isomura worked with refugees and Japanese youths to produce a series of collaborative paintings. The work made live and later produced into a film. The content of the paintings steamed from a simple direction by Isomura as he shared information about situation of refugees in Japan and how the first great civilizations developed in river valleys. Thought out the work in the paintings were was distorted by streaming water systems. Some part of the paintings get washed by the water and because the water is circulating around the construction, the paintings which once change their form to liquid are transported through the construction and get mixed with other people’s painting complexly.

This work was exhibited in Open Studio of Y-AIR exchange program at Youkobo Art Space <http://www.youkobo.co.jp/en/exhibition_events/2017/05/londontokyo-y-air-exchange-program-2017.html>

#painting #rivervalleycivilization #circulation #contemporaryart #refugees

“HOME PARTY#2 (in a gallery)” 2017 video and installation (participatory) Dan Isomura / 磯村暖

This work was exhibited after the project “HOME PARTY(Nepalese Tihar*Tokyo House Party)”. After the house party was dismantled, elements and artifacts were re-installed into the gallery space for a public presentation of the project. At times during the exhibition, a second party was being held with the visitors during which the ritual continued with a performance; a giant holy dog washing off magical powder and flowers used during the ceremony. The water from this shower was circulating in cycle around the exhibition, carrying more and more residue, and gradually tainting the panel nearby. The whole event has been recorded using a GoPro placed on the Holy Dog’s forehead, and was live streamed in another room outside the space.

#houseparty #gallery #tihar #contemporaryart #furry

“HOME PARTY#1 (Nepalese Tihar*Tokyo House Party)”

2017 mixed media

Dan Isomura / 磯村暖

This project originated from the collaboration between Napalese immigrants and Japanese youths in Tokyo. Tihar is a unique traditional festival held in Nepal in order to worship dogs and crows, who are believed to be messengers of King of Hell. Despite the important number of Napalese immigrants and the number of years the participants have lived in Tokyo, this ceremony had never been performed in Japan. The reasons were directly connected with their difficulties in Japan, the poverty and their isolation from the rest of society. The artist, Nepalese immigrants, and Japanese youth made a party which had never been able to take place before.

#houseparty #tihar #contemporaryart #fursuit

“Planet of Hell” 2016 concrete, timber, paint, sign board, banner, rubber float tube

Dan Isomura/磯村暖

These sculptures were made in response to the structures in the Thai buddhist temples. Sculptures of Preta known as the suffering ghost of hell, they carry a didactic moral purpose; the name of a sin is usually painted onto them. In this exhibition, Dan Isomura reinterprets this methodology; for instance, figures representing boat people from Myanmar carry the “sin of illegal entry”. And the group of Preta is protesting but it is ambiguous whether they protest from hell or they are in hell because of the protest.

#sculpture #preta #contemporaryart #buddhist art #refugees #rohingya

“Earthlings”

2016 W534×H285cm

acrylic paint, water, wall of the former Toshima Ward Office, submersible pump, vinyl hose, water tank, gutter, fake fur

by Dan Isomura/磯村暖

A site specific installation at the former Toshima Ward Office, Tokyo. In this painting, nameless earthlings are painted on the wall with acrylic paint. The images of the earthlings get dissolved by water which is sprayed onto the wall and recirculated by a submersible pump. Over time they disappear and become like stains on the wall. The acrylic colour which solidifies on the wall after painting, changes its form to liquid once again. With this continuous circulation, the acrylic-colored water gradually makes new stains on the wall. Influenced by the story called "Cleopatra’s Wine” in which Japanese biophysicist, Shigeki Mitaku explains through an allegorical tale how large Avogadro’s number is. In his description, the water molecules which existed in Cleopatra’s wine, was consumed by her, and then excreted from Cleopatra’s body, vaporized, formed clouds, and became rain. And after several thousand years, the water molecules have since spread out all over the earth. According to Mitaku's calculations, a glass of water today contains about 10 water molecules which existed in Cleopatra’s wine. Thus similarly any water molecules that have run through us have at some point visited each and every resident of earth.

#painting #contemporaryart #water cycle #fluidity

Installation view of GeiYuSho-prize exhibition (芸友賞展)

2015

“Ripple(Portrait of Earthling) /波紋(地球人の肖像)”

2015

W146×H238cm

oil on canvas

by　Dan Isomura /磯村暖

#oil on canvas

“Evidence of You /あなたの形跡”

2015

W146×H261cm

tea stain on canvas

by Dan Isomura /磯村暖

#tea stain

“Evidence of You /あなたの形跡”

2015

variable size

green tea, submersible pump, vinyl hose, water tank, gutter

by Dan Isomura /磯村暖

I made the green tea circulate through the water tank, the submersible pump, the vinyl hose, and on the canvas. It gradually makes big tea stain on the canvas, and also some small splattered tea stains out of the equipment.

This work is affected by the story called "Cleopatra’s Wine".

Cleopatra’s Wine is the story which Japanese biophysicist, Shigeki Mitaku mentioned in his book on explanation of how big Avogadro’s number is.

It says the water molecule which existed in Cleopatra’s wine has excreted from Cleopatra’s body, then it vaporized and formed clouds and became rain, going through massive beings. And after several thousands years, the water molecule spread out all over earth. According to the calculations, a glass of water today contains about 10 water molecules which are the same water molecule which existed in Cleopatra’s wine.

#tea stain #circulation