CATALOGUE 2000-2001

Tatsumi ORIMOTO Art-mama Vidéo expérimentale - hi8 - couleur - 01:00:00 - Japon - 1996 La décision de l'artiste de prendre soin de sa vieille mère a bouleversé son existence: affecté de la maladie d'Alzheimer, elle est presque sourde à cause de médications d'antidépresseurs, et lui doit continuellement chercher le moyen de communiquer avec elle. Among other work Orimoto created bread-man and his art-mama series. The artist's decision to take care of his old mother has changed his whole life: affected by Alzheimer's, she is almost deaf because of antidepressive medication and he has continously to look for ways to comunicate with her. Biographie Born in Japan in 1946. Lives and works in Japan. For decades since the 1970s, Orimoto has traveled around the world doing nonsense performances and documenting them. With Dadaistic nonsense and humor, his performances have evoked curiosity, embarrassment or laughs from the spectators who happened to be there. He especially attracted attention in Europe for the performance he dubbed "communication art" that uses the artist himself as a part of it. He lived in Germany for years. In 2000, Orimoto had a solo exhibition at the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo. The exhibition included his recent series of works "Art Mama"documenting his daily life spent caring for his Alzheimer-afflicted mother. The works depict an aged woman in various humorous scenes, for example, in big shoes and with a tire around her neck. These works are informed with Orimoto's love for his mother and probably a positive suggestion about living with family in an aging society. In 2001, he was invited to participate in the Venice Biennale "d'APERTutto." At the YOKOHAMA 2001, Orimoto will present a huge series of photographs. He will also exhibit the "Art Mama" series as a big banner in the Queen Mall and posters in the Motomachi shopping center in Yokohama. In addition, Orimoto is planning to do his "Bread Man" performance.