kokyū
Werner Puntigam
2020
Artist Statement
The powerful colours of my photographs, captured 2013-2019 and modified in August 2020 for the creation of the video 'kokyū', recall the pronounced lifestyle and cultural awareness between tradition, modernism, high tech and nature. The strong abstraction by large-sized mosaic-like pixelating symbolizes the current pandemic-caused limitations of everyday life and traveling as well as the uncertainty and disorientation about the duration until the return to "normalcy". Catching a breath, slowing down and keeping confidence is the name of the game, but also (even more) mindfulness when meeting other people, recentering to the essential and keeping an open mind for new impulses are required. The on a smooth pulse crossfading images get vibrant contrasts by the fragile notes and soundscapes of the freely improvised music (re-edited samples from the album 'kokyū [breathing]' of my Austrian-Japanese duo project with Rabito Arimoto), and the rhythmical accents emphasize undaunted vitality and optimism for a positive future.
The submitted video reflects in a very compact way my multidisciplinary artistic emphases and intercultural activities that characterize my numerous travels to Japan (after a first concert tour in 2000 I've been visiting Japan since 2013 once or twice annually for always very exciting artist residencies): Musical and interdisciplinary performative collaborations with Japanese artists (mainly in the field of jazz / freely improvised music, but also dance, slam poetry and theater) and photography focussed on culture, everyday life, people, and on contrasts between tradition, modernism, high tech and nature.
Artist Bio
Freelancing multidisciplinary artist (music projects / visual artworks / interdisciplinary) from Austria with special focus on intercultural projects. Numerous artistic activities and cooperations in Europe, Africa, Asia and North America. Grand Upper Austrian Award 2013 for Art in the context of Intercultural Dialogue.