WOW

I was in such a bad mood on Thursday. You know one of those moods where your head feels like its trapped in a thuderstorm? It was a dark train trip into Wynyard from work, and I wasn’t sure it was the right time to explore the MCA to try and learn about a famous French chick and a Japanese cartoonist…

Those dark thoughts dissipated the moment I walked into Mekurumeku exhibition by Tabaimo. WOW.  It was way beyond manga, even beyond the beloved Studio Ghilbi work. The ground floor of the MCA has been transformed into a series of specific spaces to exhibit her multi-channel work. Drawn by hand then animated, Tabaimo’s earlier work was a comment on Japanese society. Japanese Commuter Train transports you to a parallel universe along the Tokyo railway. So much happened in the eight minute loop – a boy hung himself, a sushi chef turned up turning passengers into nilgiri sushi, falling flowers, amputated arms…and more I am sure I missed. To the sound of a rock bank, Haunted House peeked through a periscope into the lives of a city suburb. In The Doll’s House we watched a house being fitted out and invaded by an octopus who becomes the pulsating blood supply through all its stories. Itch itch.

Japanese Commuter Train – Tabaimo 2001

The other half of the exhibition included two  work commissioned by the MCA. Mekuru meku ku and Tozen. Moving away from the commentary about Japanese society, these were meditations on life itself, its transience, strangeness and its beauty. BLOW was also stunning, standing in the curved space you felt you were sitting in waist deep water, bubbles appearing from below, flowers transforming slowly into sinewy feet.

Tozen – Tabaimo 2014

Mekuru meku ru Tabaimo 2014

Have I convinced you to check it out? The reason why the press for this looks so uninteresting is simply because a still image cannot do justice to the experience. Do yourself a favour, get over yourself and drag yourself off to the MCA before it disappears Sept 7….and you’ll also get to see the Annette Messenger Motion/Emotion exhibition which also mind blowing – more on that next time.

BLOW – Tabaimo 2009