second sounds ++

I actually didn’t plan much for the second week event which was held on June 13th.

chi too proposed an idea about constantly piling up layers of bubble wraps (one layer per day to be precise) at a rather early timing, and I thought it would be interesting just to simply do something with that. In other words, I deliberately created a lot of gaps to be filled in. The result was quite delightful.

At first, chi too was nervous about coordinating the events for both days, but it seems like he made up his mind after I told him “Don’t worry, no one can tell what will happen in the future”. At the end, he did a wonderful job. First was Saturday, and the title was “The artist, chi too, invites the Yoga insructor, Sunalini Blandford, to conduct a Yoga lesson on top of his work 'Perhaps It Was Possibly Never' wherein the artist lines the floor with bubble wrap and adds an additional layer every day he is present (tentative working title)", and everyone is welcome.” It is quite long so we called it the “Puchi Puchi YOGA night”, and it was amazingly successful.

Some of the participants brought Yoga mats, and others seemed like they were taking the event quite seriously. Many different people came: Staff of The Japan Foundation, our team, the regular visitors of Hin Bus, families(?) and grandmas(?). It was very much a gathering of amateurs. The instructor was very kind (she was actually quite beautiful too) and played along really good, giving us instructions like “Feel the bubbles, and stretch you arms.” At the end we all stretched out our arms, lied at full length and closed our eyes. We got relaxed once it became completely silent, and then we could hear Tadashi’s piece rattling, cars passing by, then the wind, and we even smelled curry. There it is; an indescribable sound installation.

I don’t think that chi too had imagined that the bubble wraps would make such good sounds.

However, he was able to absorb the situation, understand that this exhibition is about sound and that I’m a musician, and he pulled it off. I wonder where he got his good instincts. I chose him just by looking at the photos of his work that Eeyan showed me. I felt that he was responding to the things that “already exist at a certain place” really well when I saw those photos. They were actually quite impressive. Thats why I thought that he would be able to do good work in this type of ever-changing exhibition, which is shared by each participant. I’m now thinking again that my hunch was right.

There is a live streaming relay event that ties Osaka and Penang today. Tadashi and Yoshihito, who are both from Osaka proposed the idea for it. Yuki is also working with them to prepare for the event. Tadashi, who is a programmer is the leader, and we will connect a long distance session from Penang to Osaka, then from Osaka to Penang, and it will end at the event in Osaka. The people at both sides will have a meal in between.

They will prepare for the live streaming by them selves. They will record it, and connect Osaka and Penang by their own hands while they make their pieces and perform.

During these two days, I’ll just be watching the event along with the audience, do YOGA and give permission to the idea’s that come from the artists, and track what goes on.

The photo is by Mieko Matsumoto, who has been constantly taking pictures every day. She is also an important member that will watch over this exhibition while it goes on. It was windy when she took this photo, so the bubble wraps are swelling up. In Japanese, we call bubble wraps “Puchi Puchi(which is an onomatopoeia of tiny bubbles popping)”, so when I first heard the word “bubble wrap” I thought that chi too was trying to make bubbles. Funny. Everyone laughed when I told them how we say it in Japanese. There are many words and names that are formed in imitation of a sound in Japanese. But on the other hand, I think that Japanese people are recently loosing their ability to sense sounds in such ways. I am actually regaining my own ability here in Penang.

photo by Mieko Matsumoto

6月13日セカンドウィークのイベントの内容は、実はあまり考えていなかった。

ただゲスト作家のchi tooの「プチプチをひたすら重ねていく（それも毎日コツコツと一枚ずつ）」のアイディアは彼から早めに提案がきていて、それと絡むだけで面白いと思い、あとは会期中に考えていこうと思った。つまり隙間だらけにしておいた。これが相当面白い方向に行った。

最初はchi tooもこの2日間のイベントの全てをコーディネートしなきゃいけないのか、と不安がっていたが、「私がディレクションはする「don’t worry nobudy knows in the future」」と返事したら肝が据わったらしく、でも最終的に彼の素敵なコーディーネートでまずは土曜日13日にこの長いタイトル

The artist, chi too, invites the Yoga insructor, Sunalini Blandford, to conduct a Yoga lesson on top of his work "'Perhaps It Was Possibly Never' wherein the artist lines the floor with bubble wrap and adds an additional layer every day he is present (tentative working title)", and everyone is welcome.

のいわゆる「Puchi Puchi YOGA night」は大成功を収めた。

参加者は本気でヨガマット持ってきた人や本気でイベントを見に来た人、國際交流基金のスタッフ、うちのチーム、

HIn Busの常連、親子連れ？おばあちゃん？などなどばらばら。なもんで素人満載。

その中で「はい、プチプチを感じて～腕をのば～す」などなど粋なコメントを入れつつ優しくすすめてくれた（しかもすごい美人）のインストラクターさんの誘導により、最後の最後には大の字になって目を閉じて、し～～～～んとリラックスしてるとコツコツと米子匡司の作品が聴こえ、車の音が聴こえ、風の音が聴こえ、ついでにカレーの匂いもし、なんともいえないサウンドインスタレーションの出来上がり。

おそらくchi tooはこのプチプチがそこまでいい音になるかどうかは予測できていなかったと思う。

でも今回音に絡んだプロジェクトであることや、私が音楽家であることや、なんやかんやうまいこと吸収しつつこのアイディアになったんだろうけど、なんだろ、この感覚のよさ。Eeyanから紹介されたいつくかの彼の作品の写真を見ただけで決めたのですが、彼は「すでにそこにあるもの」へのレスポンスの仕方が面白いというか出来る！って感じたのです。だから今回のような共有系？で変化し続ける展覧会に絡むにはいいのでは、と思った。そして今回ああ、そのとうりだな、って改めて感じた。

そして今日は大阪とペナンを結んで中継リレーイベントである。提案者は大阪で活動する米子と水内。

映像記録の樋口も絡み、せっせと準備をしている。プログラマーの米子を筆頭に、wifi不安定なこのペナンから大阪へそして大阪とペナンの遠距離セッション、最後は大阪イベント、と、つながれていく。

間にご飯を食べるのはお互いの場所でも同じ。

今回中継の作業は彼らが自力で行う。記録をとりながら、作品を制作しながら、パフォーマンスしながら彼らは自分達の手で大阪とペナンをつなぐ。

この二日間は私は見るだけ、YOGAやるだけ、作家から出るアイディアにOKして、見守るだけである。

写真はこの期間ずっと一日もたやさず撮り続けている松本美枝子。彼女もこの展示をずっと見守る大切なメンバーである。この時は風が吹いて、プチプチがふわっと膨らんだ。そういえばプチプチは英語でBubble wrapという。

最初バブルだから泡でも作るんか、と思ってた、、はは。日本でプチプチっていうんだよ、って言ったらこっちのみんなは笑ってた、「音」から言葉になるものが意外と多いんだよね、日本語。でも音を感じる力はむしろ無くなってきていると思う今日この頃。その感覚をむしろここペナンで取り戻している。

写真：松本美枝子