Heart-Shaped Cookie | qenji-yoshida

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

Heart-Shaped Cookie

2017 Made in Osaka, Japan

Work format: Sculpture/Poisonous Food

Materials: Flour 80g, Egg, Margarine for cake 60g, Sugar 60g and Rodenticide 120 g

I and my partner were struggling from mice living at our house attic. We tried various anti-mice products such as sprays and scents. However nothing worked well. One day finally we decided to kill mice by making poisoned cookies for the sake of protection of our first baby.