Saki Satom
dal 21/4/2005 al 14/5/2005
Segnalato da
21/4/2005
Saki Satom
One Severn Street, Birmingham
Alternative Stories. Artist's work has predominantly focused on how different communities interact in public spaces, questioning societal norms and the incongruities of city life. He has been engaged in a series of interviews with people from various cultural backgrounds - those met during the course of daily life and experts sought out specifically to address questions around social etiquette and behaviour.
We are delighted to announce the opening of One Severn Street – a new,
temporary project space for Birmingham dedicated to commissioning and
presenting new artists’ film and video. Saki Satom (Japan), Sabrina Mezzaqui
(Italy) and Anna Lucas (UK) have been invited to exhibit new and previously
unseen works in a sequence of three solo exhibitions running from April – July
2005.
Saki Satom’s work has predominantly focused on how different communities
interact in public spaces, questioning societal norms and the incongruities of
city life. More recently, Satom has been engaged in a series of interviews
with people from various cultural backgrounds - those met during the course of
daily life and experts sought out specifically to address questions around
social etiquette and behaviour. The backdrop of a chaotic and repetitious
existence is thus replaced with intimate encounters and conversations with
individuals offering insights into a different way of life.
‘Alternative Stories’ 2005, has been specially commissioned by One Severn
Street. Consisting of a six-screen projection, this piece exemplifies Satom’s
preoccupation with how we operate in an increasingly globalised world and the
reliability of trans-cultural communication. Interviews have been conducted
with people from various countries, including Iceland and Hungary, and
combined here with a recent interview in Birmingham. Each storyteller is seen
to recount a version of a traditional story in his or her native language,
which is then interpreted in the form of a drawing by another person and
finally transferred to animation by Satom. The storyteller appears on one
screen, while on the other screen the animated drawing translates the story.
These personal accounts and interpretations prompt us to question the
understanding of those involved in the process, and at the same time provide
analogies for what might be misunderstood or overlooked during, for example,
the translation of international news stories or political events.
This project is happening at an exciting time in Birmingham’s growth as a
city. The regeneration and commercial development that is currently taking
place is giving rise to a greater energy and commitment towards a richer arts
scene, and one that is worthy of the scale and diversity of the city itself.
One Severn Street asserts itself as part of this new direction, and responds
to the need for a more challenging and innovative visual arts infrastructure
in the West Midlands.
One Severn Street has been supported by Arts Council England, The Daiwa
Foundation and The Mailbox, Birmingham
Preview: Friday 22 April 6 - 8pm
Image from Alternative stories, 2003. DVD installation
ONE SEVERN STREET, The Mailbox, Birmingham B1 1XL
exhibition opening hours
Tuesday — Saturday, 12 — 6pm. Closed Sunday and Monday except Bank Holidays