The second Japanese Experience, LEX 2009, to take place from 24 to 28 March 2009 at the Theatre of Nîmes, is an invitation to discover 16 live performance projects – 13 music and 3 dance – and participate in 2 workshops; monster building and bonsai modification. Offering intriguing counterpoints – from the percussive bombardment of Ruins Alone to the delicate, surreal Project Oh!Yama – the free-ranging programme has been conceived across a number of artistic platforms. A Euro vision of Japan? If you like, but an original, real take, set up by insiders.
All the artists have been interviewed for the LEX 2009 programme, to give a better, more informed understanding, to take us closer to their work. Some of them seem to shy away from explicit explanations, reluctant to elaborate on the significance and message behind what they do. Picopico has cheekily suggested that although many artists throughout Japan very readily conceptualise their art, perhaps the selection for LEX 2009 has simply brought together a group of “no concept” artists. We’ll see. What’s clear is that an invitation to subjective judgement has very definitely been put out there!
Nevertheless, all the contributors did agree to share their influences and important stages in their artistic development. These personal interviews mean we now have intimate accounts of each of their journeys through space/time. Asa-Chang & Junray talk about the Crazy Cats of the 1960s and the Indian tabla guru Ustad Zakir Hussain. Kentaro!! discusses his enthusiasm for the New York sounds of A Tribe Called Quest and Jungle Brothers. Yudaya Jazz gives the striking example of audiovisual synchronisation between Minnie Riperton and Hitchcock’s The Birds (!) All have grazed the yard for artistic influences to feed their own creative vision, beyond the need for justification or stylistic constraint.
The programme for LEX 2009 federates artists who would otherwise not have appeared together and cuts across different art forms. It is specific and truly accessible. It is fragmented, coherent and justified. From Kan Mikami to YMCK, Erina Koyama to Kicell, LEX 2009 represents a selection of artists of adventure who are leaving a mark on several generations of spectator; something that the Japanese themselves have perhaps not yet recognised. LEX 2009 at the Theatre of Nîmes will be truly precious, atypical, rare, unique.
© 2008 Franck Stofer / SONORE
