Monday, August 25, 2008

Ode to Masa Eschigo

When a Japanese dude takes a bite of your Chinese cooking (especially if he eats a lot of Chinese) and says "wow, you're a bery bery geenios!" then you know you're onto something.

Masa left this morning, and I am very sad. Although there was a bit of a language barrier between us, we seemed to have a silent appreciation and enjoyment of one another's company. And the language barrier only made the occasional Masa joke ten times funnier, because it would be so unexpected. And he would just work his jokes into his normal speech pattern like it's not a joke. Like for example, after taking Masa, Friederike, and Abner to the good meat guy, baker, and then wine place, Masa starts his sentences with "So... Rotterdam Masta... where are we going now?"














Also, Masa is just naturally cool, without even an ounce of pretentiousness or self-consciousness. I'm gonna miss Masa. But yesterday we made a joke about someday meeting in New York unexpectedly as we sip on wine and puff on cigars at whatever random exhibition opening.

Garden Barbecue Discoing












Kunst & Complex

After the Boijman's, we went to see a performance/installation by a Japanese artist named Noriko at the Kunst & Complex, a space for artist studios.

The building.

Masa entering Dr. Jeroen's lab.



Dr. Jeroen in his element.

Dr. Jeroen hard at work.

Dr. Jeroen's lab.

One of Dr. Jeroen's experiments.

Dr. Jeroen explains his work.

The crowd gathers up before the performance.

Friederike Mainka

Abner Preis

Dr. Jeroen anticipating the performance.

The performance.

The performance.

The performance.

The installation.

Noriko's studio.

The calm Aikido player with the Celtic medallion.

Yayoi Kusama

Okay so this 80-year old Japanese female artist does very little of the kind of art I usually appreciate, but I was still very much taken and moved by her work nonetheless, which only proves how very passionate her work is. After visiting her new exhibition at the Boijman's Museum in Rotterdam, which is more of an overview of her life's work, I doubt anything I do will ever be the same again. Although a lot of what she does is obviously extremely of an obsessive compulsive nature, which only brings back memories of crazed ex-girl friends, it shows the rather unusual beauty existent in obsessive compulsiveness sometimes.

Entering the Boijman's.

Entering Yayoi Kusama's exhibition hall.

One of Yayoi Kusama's installations.

One of Yayoi Kusama's installations.

A stilleto in a sea of penises.

Rising tails.

Not Yayoi Kusama - The Boijman's Shit Statue.

Freiderike catching up with us.

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