I Think There Might be a Giant Wasp...

I Think There Might be a Giant Wasp in the Bathroom, Please be Careful...

Sound + video installation

2018

This installation « I Think There Might be a Giant Wasp in The Bathroom, Please be Careful » is a collection of several emotional states/impressions experienced during my stay at Shiro Oni Studios in Onishi, Japan ranging from bliss to anxiety. The title comes from an actual note I left on the bathroom door one day to warn the other artists.

The installation consists of 4 elements :

-Big blocs of ice are placed on a shelf. When they melt, water drips and gentle sound of water drops is heard. It is a reminder of the extremely hot temperature I have experienced at the beginning of my stay in Onishi.

-A video filmed right before a storm at the famous Meeting Room at the Artist House in which you can see the wind blowing in the grass. The grass seems to be moving by itself, as if it was magical or inhabited by a spirit. The colors and the flickering effect of the video express the enchantment of being in Onishi. The video is reflected by a round mirror on the opposite wall as a reminder of Shinto. I’ve heard that mirrors play a central part in Shinto, for they are thought to contain the body of the kami.

-A big bamboo in which there is a speaker playing sounds recorded from my stomach. One day, I wasn’t feeling very well and my stomach was making funny noises. Jeannie told me I should record these sounds and use them. I love the idea of the illusion that the bamboo is generating those sounds by itself, like a living being, some sort of weird creature.

-A rock hanging from the ceiling that gives the impression to be floating in the space is moved by the wind produced by a fan. When it moves, it sometimes hits a little vase made of transparent glass and it produces a very gentle sound. In the vase, there is a big black fly. One day we were working at our studio and I saw that bug on the ground and it was dying slowly. I like the idea of the wind creating movement as an invisible force, as a ghost.

Many found objects are also used in my installation. I like to restrict myself to use mainly elements I find in my surroundings. They are meaningful and tell a story.