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Inside/Outside

Street is media which everyone can approach, and it is fair as it's open to all, free from bureaucratic way of thinking.

Inside/Outside

Artists had started graffiti against art world that strong authority and huge money move in and out internationally.
There are a lot of big advertisement by global companies on street and sensational TV commercial to accelerate the consumer market. Graffiti started from street culture in the 80's that Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring had resisted towards society expands the gab between the rich and the poor. Then, now it has keep developing.

"Inside/Outside" is a documentary movie to record one of the most hottest contemporary graffiti artist all over the world. There was special event and screening, "Inside/ Outside-Rebel week-" from 5th April to 11th April at the Uplink Cafe in Tokyo. I went the 4th day of event, 8th April, screening with talk by Hisashi Tenmyouya (artist) and Kenji Kubota (independent curator).

Inside/Outside

Graffiti is evil? or Art due to reveal social tragedy.
In the film, Zeus in Paris "kills" models at billboard by red spray, and it calls "Visual Attack". He said,"We attack Advertisement with minimum effort through using the power of its influence."

Inside/Outside

Pigmeus in Sao Paulo remains "Tag" on the top of the high buildings. By using original fluorescent paint, KR conquer the town. Swoon is a woman graffiti artist in NY. She put her poster on the street without permission. Now, her works recognised at MOMA and Brookly Museum of Art. She said,"I am happy that a lot of people see my works but, at the same time, it is complex feeling I am involved in a part of huge art market."

Inside/Outside

Camera shows some works and thoughts of various artists on different situation, culture, country.
Some people regards it as vandalism. Graffiti is ephemera as it is clear immediately if found. Graffiti artists always run away from police. What is the reason they are particular about street even though it's dangerous. What kinds of value exist there? This insists not only meaning of art but also what freedom is in the society.

Hisashi Tenmyouya, an artist, explained graffiti in Japan using example of Kyosai Kawanabe, is a painter in Edo period. He said "Kyosai is an old graffiti artist, arrested as a political criminal. Even though he belong to very central and traditional art group, Kanoha, he created Ukiyoe regarded as street art at that time". Hisashi also claimed that Graffiti is a belief to resist towards conservative society not just writing "Tag" on the wall, and it is egoism a graffiti writer just write his name due to assert own territory. Without consciousness of other peoples' eyes, it will be just vandalism.
Apart from graffiti is evil or not, the most important thing is if people is moved by it.


Inside/Outside
[2005 / Denmark / 57 min]
Director: Andreas Johnsen
Featuring: Zevs, Swoon, KR, Earsnot, Ron English, Os Gemeos, Pigmeus, Adams & Itso

Text: Wakana Kawahito

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