In Repose Thursday Island Documentation

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Comment by Mayu Kanamori on February 4, 2010 at 10:37pm

I am a Japanese migrant artist in Australia. In collaboration with other Japanese migrant artists and Australian artists, we began a project called In Repose in 2006. We have travelled to many remote locations in Australia -- places like Thursday Island, Broome, Townsville, Port Hedland, Cossack, Roebourne, and many other places where there are Japanese graves over hundred years ago where our migrant predecessors lie.

There is a Japanese phrase "Hone o Uzumeru Kakugo" which translates as determination to we bury our bones. It means staying put in one place until we die. Through burial in this Australian soil, we will become fully part of Australia one day.

It is the migrant's condition to need to connect to the landscape of the host country. We began to explore what it means to become part of this landscape through burial, be inspired by the spirits that exist in places, create site specific performances in cemeteries, collaborate with local artists and bring back stories from our experiences.

In Repose is also a requiem, a Japanese term called "kuyo" which means ceremonial settling of the spirits. By performing site specifically in cemeteries, we were able to commune with local people on a deep and spiritual level. We keep wondering when in history did art become separated from spirituality and performance from ceremony. Where did the term "dancing on the graves" come from and why the taboo?

We finished our travels last year and we have a photographic & sound installation / exhibition and performative lecture with story telling, dance, and music at Japan Foundation Gallery in Sydney in April / May this year.

Comment by Create Culture on February 4, 2010 at 10:12pm

Mayu could you explain more about this? This is a performance at a cemetery? eager to learn more