* Title: *WAAW
* Category: Absolvent Project
* Study Program: KuM
* Course Title: Graduation
* Lecturer/s: En Kitani
* Semester: WS 2024/25
* Description:
The installation is activated only when a visitor wears the mask, and only that individual can hear the monologues of the characters in the video. By integrating video with physical objects, the work establishes a clear boundary, prompting a reconsideration of visual and bodily awareness. By incorporating tangible elements beyond the frame of the video, it challenges the fluidity between subjectivity and objectivity, as well as the relationship between “seeing” and “being seen.”
At the heart of this work are the monologues of two individuals with unconventional and extraordinary pasts, quietly navigating their very ordinaly daily lives in a foreign city—Berlin. Their narratives are deeply intertwined with my own experiences and emotions. They are also shaped by the engagement with the pop culture of my homeland—particularly the TV series スーパー戦隊 (Super Sentai.) Beneath its spectacular action sequences, this genre carries a distinct national ideology and spirit that idealizes the “warrior” not as someone who acts for themselves or even for others, but for the greater good of society. Through this lens, the work explores unavoidable and universal social issues such as cultural norms, societal oppression, gender inequality, immigrant identity and the objectification of human existence.
What may initially seem like deeply personal narratives are, in fact, shaped by the immense forces of society—forces that impact us all, whether we are aware of them or not. Through this installation, I aim to illuminate these shared experiences and emotions, offering the audience an opportunity to momentarily pause and reflect on the often-overlooked personal narratives embedded in everyday life.
*WAAW stands for We Are Always Warriors
