Chapter1: The Morphing Public Sphere – Confrontation and Dialogue

“Love is Over”, 2014, Photo: Kishin Shinoyama　© Chim↑Pom Courtesy of the artist and ANOMALY

This project presented a wedding reception, an extremely personal situation, to the public sphere. Chim↑Pom is questioning the relationship between marriage and love. Perhaps the individual’s (or the couple’s) emotions are unconsciously incorporated to the society, and vice versa. We could be under the illusion that society is a giant cluster of individual emotions. Their boldness to parade toward the public art sculpture is outstanding.

“Gold Experience”, 2012, Tarpaulin balloon, mixed media, 650x800x600cm, Installation view: “Chim↑Pom”, PARCO Museum, Tokyo, 2012　© Chim↑Pom Courtesy of the artist and ANOMALY

An unusual scene is happening in the middle of Shibuya, where people are being swallowed into a black garbage bag. A group of people is willing to head inside the garbage bag as a hint to the final destination of capitalism. It challenges the meaning of perceiving and taking in art, while unconsciously consuming and depositing throughout our lifetime.

“PAVILION”, 2012, Neon signs, music, 300x200cm (x2)　© Chim↑Pom Courtesy of the artist and ANOMALY

Chim↑Pom is well-known for their approach of sublimating existing materials to art, but this is one of the rarest coincidence. Chim↑Pom took the “C” and “P” from the neon sign of a Japanese shopping mall “PARCO” and turned it into a self-portrait. It is a witticism the modern consumer society.