Dip Unit 10 Yr 4: Pascal Bronner, Jacqueline Chak, Gerald Huber, Lucy Jones, Okan Kaleli, Seung Hyun Kang, Yong Zheng Li, Wan Lok Lo, Morounkeji Majekodunmi, Sarah Mui. Yr5: Thomas Hiller, Maxwell Mutanda, Jasmin Sohi, Adeline Wee.
Something Urbane, Something Kitsch, Something Imaginary Like the lives of its many inhabitants, Tokyo is a city of contrast, contradiction and frictionless co-existence. There are strict and regimented rules for everything, but at the same time the city has its rebellious aspects. Tokyo is inventive, yet traditional; indulgent but repressed; and strangely Western, yet uniquely Eastern. History and tradition are graciously preserved in Japan. As for modern Tokyo, there are remnants of old Edo almost everywhere. These strong traces of continuity are manifested in the development of the city, from the layout of streets and parks within the modern urban infrastructure, as well as its unique urban culture. Sumo wrestling, Kabuki theatres and Shinto temples infiltrate the hi-tech city. Tea ceremony, flower arrangement, calligraphy and martial arts are seriously cultivated lifestyle of modern Tokyoites. These are social institutions, safeguarding original teachings passed on to younger generations. The monotonous cycle of transforming merchandise into kitsch is Japan’s leading export: automated sushi bars, plastic food samples, Manga and countless comic books. Pachinko parlours and love hotels are responsible for the kitsch phenomena of Tokyo’s cityscape; the ultimate kitsch has to be the multi-storey halls offering dream-come-true weddings. Harajuku girls and Gothic Lolitas are permanent fixtures around public parks.
cj Lim and Bernd Felsinger
Show Cat 08.indd 80
Top: Jacqueline Chak, Floating Kabuki. Middle: Okan Kaleli, Reading Gardens. Bottom: Adeline Well, City of Elders.
12/6/08 17:22:10