Subbing The Subbing
2016 Made in Bangkok, Thailand
Work format: Video installation (Dimension variable)
Materials: 2 TVs
Introduction:
In Spain, there is a town inhabited by people with the surname Japón, which means Japan in Spanish.
400 years ago a group of Samurai traveled to Europe for some missions.
During their journey, Christianity was prohibited in Japan and some of the Samurais decided to remain to live in Spain to live as Christian. Those named Japón in the Spanish town today are regarded as possible descendants of the Samurai from history.
The work EL JAPONÉS aligns the artist himself as a “Japanese person who just came from Japan” and Mrs. Japón as a “descendant of historically the first migrant from Japan”.
The dialog itself looks like a simple praise of communication but the two juxtaposed "Japanese" people imply and ask different notions such as "nationality", "race" and "immigrant integration".
Special thanks: Mr. and Ms. Japóns whom I met in Coria del Rio
" "
2022 at Doubutsuen-mae Shopping street, Osaka, Japan / 动物园前商店街（大阪）/ 動物園前商店街（大阪）
Work format: Performance recorded with iphone screen recording / 苹果手机录屏 / iphone画面録画
Materials: tarpaulin / 防水布 / ターポリン(2000 x 3000 mm / 1750 x 1500 mm) , any monitor / 电视监视器 /モニター
Q
enji Yoshida (ケンジ・ヨシダ、ヨシダ・ケンジ、よしだ毛んじ、 超人吉田、吉田憲史)’s perennial themes are identities, globalization, languages and dialogues.
He makes mainly conceptual works and situation-specific performances.
By examining the ambiguity and origination via mistakes and misunder-standings between others, Yoshida tries to grasp enigmatic
understanding floated in "in-betweenness".
This attitude partly comes from his own childhood background as being raised up by Japanese parents and their American housemate (inconsistent worldviews).
Previously a sleepwalker, currently a father of two boys;
also the co-director of TRA-TRAVEL (Art-collective /art hub) where he
curates exhibitions, organize online art school, artist-in residency
programs, artist talks and use it as a hub for international artists.