Tokyo-I
Kay Walkowiak, Andreas Wesle, Natalia Domínguez Rangel, Studio Takamatsu
Interbeing / Acts of Care
Interbeing
Kay Walkowiak, Andreas Wesle, Natalia Domínguez Rangel
Interbeing is a performance film based on the idea of psychophysical networking and a relational understanding of the nature-human constellation. Filmed in the untouched nature of Yakushima, eight individual choreographies of a single human body unfold in eight different locations in dialogue with the specific nature of the surroundings. In the meditative slowness of decelerated movements and extended phases of seemingly motionless rest, a scenario of supreme presence emerges: The quality of connections becomes the all-encompassing reality.
The film’s starting point is the realisation anchored in Shinto and Zen Buddhist philosophy that our body and our planet are not contradictory entities, but are instead a living network of relationships: an interplay of the most divergent constellations of coexistence of the most diverse life forms – human and non-human alike. In this constellation, our body exists in a sensitive intensity that is both space and form. A human is never separate from its environment, and must be understood as always being deeply interwoven with it.
Acts of Care
Kay Walkowiak, Studio Takamatsu
Acts of Care makes the connection between the physical body and politics visible. The textile installation is an homage to and a political reinterpretation of what could be considered the most important traditional Japanese garment: the kimono. The artistic project explores the history of this iconic garment, inextricably linked to the image of Japan, where it is still revered and cultivated as a symbol of national and cultural identity. The kimono has held a special fascination for people all around the world for centuries. The fact that the cut has hardly changed over time means that the kimono is often seen as a simple, timeless garment. In Acts of Care, the kimono acts as an image carrier and is interpreted not as static and unchanging, but as a contemporary garment with a political dimension that conveys a clear message: the demand for basic social rights and democracy, for peaceful coexistence, and the sustainable protection of nature and all living beings on our planet.
