TPAM Direction Director: Tan Fukuen Interview

TPAM (International Performing Arts Meeting in Yokohama), which was established in 1995 with the aim of becoming an international platform for Asian performing arts works, is a place where contemporary performing arts professionals from all over the world can meet and perform together. We have exchanged information, learned from each other, and engaged in networking through a variety of programs including discussions, meetings, and more. This year's TPAM, which was held in February to celebrate its 20th anniversary, selected producers who are involved in unique activities as directors, and became one of the directors of "TPAM Direction", which creates works with free concepts and new perspectives. , we welcomed Tan Fukuen, an independent curator based in Bangkok who has worked on many projects in Asia and Europe. We spoke with Mr. Tan after the program, which has been well-received by the program to introduce a part of Southeast Asia's performing arts, which has attracted international attention in recent years, was completed.

2015.5.25 interview & text: Eiji Kobayashi
Photo: Masamasa Nishino

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TPAM's first overseas director

---Tan became the first director from overseas to be selected for the TPAM Direction program. How did you get asked by TPAM and what were your expectations for the program?

I've been following TPAM since it started 20 years ago, and I've watched it carefully every year for the past five years or so, so I think I understand what TPAM is aiming for in the first place. A specific request was for TPAM Direction to create a program that spotlights timely artists in Southeast Asia and what their themes and interests are. did.

---What are your criteria for choosing artists?

My basic approach as a curator, not just this one, is to build relationships with artists through years of dialogue. What I look at is not just the work, but the artist himself, what approach he takes to creating his work, what interests him, and how he embodies his ideas. . In that sense, you place great importance on dialogue. In the case of Aisa Hoxson (Philippines), I have been responsible for all of her performing arts productions over the past few years. I have had a relationship with Murati Suryodarmo (Indonesia) for 7 or 8 years and have watched his work for a long time, but this is the first time we are working together. Eko Supriyanto (Indonesia) first had the opportunity to see the unfinished version of this work in November of last year. Afterwards, as I talked with Eco, I realized that he wanted to take this work to a higher level of perfection, and I felt strongly about its potential. Therefore, we officially commissioned him as a commission work for TPAM, and the work has now been completed as "Cry Jailolo."

What is “Southeast Asianness”?

---I understand that there is a lot of diversity in the term "Southeast Asia," but from your perspective, if there is a "Southeast Asian-ness," how would you define "Southeast Asia within Asia?" If so, what characteristics does it have?

Several factors have shaped Southeast Asia: a century of colonialism, subsequent nationalism and military dictatorship, rapid urbanization, neoliberalism, and globalization. I think the history of violence in various forms can be cited as a common feature. However, I think it is difficult to say this in one word. Well, I guess it's a tropical climate (lol). Climate affects the way people perceive things.

――However, even from a global perspective, I think that in recent years, Southeast Asia has been producing a number of noteworthy works in the fields of art, film, and performing arts.

Particularly in recent years, attention in the art world has definitely shifted to Southeast Asia. However, the situation in the performing arts is slightly different from that in the case of videos and movies. In the case of movies, I think one factor is that the digital revolution has made it possible for young filmmakers to independently produce and disseminate their works. In comparison, the performing arts move a little more slowly, which is related to differences in language, cultural context and production structure. Although videos are easier to distribute, there are some aspects of performing arts that cannot be fully conveyed unless you see them live, so the range in which the work can be distributed is limited. In that sense, I believe that TPAM is an important platform for communicating Asian performing arts to the world. This is clearly reflected in their dedication.

Work in Progress “Host”

--- Mr. Aisa and Mr. Murati have presented the same works in Europe as this time, but is there a difference in the context when presenting in Japan? Or if you felt any difference in the reaction when you announced it in Japan this time, please let me know.

Of course I think there are differences. In particular, ``Host,'' which was created during my stay in Japan, is based on an investigation into the ``Japa Yuki'' phenomenon seen among Filipino entertainers working in Japan, and the themes, language, symbols, and artists involved are Japanese audiences are literate in terms of things like ``Japaneseness'' that we are trying to explore. Therefore, the post-performance talk elicited a stronger reaction from Japanese viewers. The question of how gender and service are embodied and performed, which the work is primarily trying to convey, is culturally encoded and therefore more important to Japanese viewers than European viewers, for example. It should be scrutinized. Isa first presented this work in a state of work-in-progress, and completed it while considering the differences in perception between cultures and various criticisms.

Aisa Hoxon “Work in Progress “Host”” TPAM2015/Photo: Hideto Maezawa

Asia and the West, tradition and modernity

---I think that, just like in art, there is a problem in the performing arts as well, in that they must first be expressed based on Western values and frameworks. Just as butoh once emerged from Japan to other parts of the world, how to bring in the so-called Asian awareness of issues related to the body and history, this program is also interesting, and we hope that something new will be born. I felt there was a possibility.

A new expression is born by fusing two contradictory things: tradition and modernity. I think all contemporary artists present these rich situations and their effects in their works. The underlying conditions resulting from legacies of polarization and hybridity inevitably create an authenticity of place, and artists seek to articulate its reality and urgency. We are working on this with great enthusiasm. This has had a major impact on the development of performing arts in Southeast Asia.

Eco Supriyanto “Cry Jailolo” TPAM2015／Photo: Hideto Maezawa

――When I compare this work to other Japanese works, I feel that the issue of identity is a particularly important theme. What do you think?

Artists confirm their identity by creating performances. For example, in the case of ``Cry Jailolo'' , Jailolo is a remote island in a very remote place, and even Indonesians look at it with a kind of exoticism. We work with, train and bring people from the surrounding areas into the city to discuss and demystify Jairolo traditions and culture. It is a very political work from the perspective of expression and visualization in the Indonesian archipelago.

Expressions that can only be conveyed through the body

---I think all of this program was a piece of work that could be interpreted in various ways depending on the viewer, in a good sense.

I think what's really interesting about these performances is that they express themselves using a tool called the "body." I'm not just talking about the "body" or developing some esoteric theory, but I'm trying to use the body to express things directly, without logic, and to maintain the viewer's concentration. , to convey an artistic statement.

---You can watch videos on the internet, but actually watching the performance live was completely different.

That's right. Earlier you talked about the differences between presentations in Asia and Europe, and Asian expressions usually have a stronger sense of emotion, effort, and inner energy. The work ``Pichet Klunchen and I'' , part of this TPAM co-production, deals with exactly that theme. This work is a dialogue between two things: the conceptual West and the seemingly intuitive Asia. Of course, we are trying to go beyond this simple polarization and analyze the differences from a deeper level.

---I feel like there's something slowly penetrating this side of Asian bodies. In Isa Hokson's "Host," there was a part that expressed shunga in three-dimensional form that was more pressing than other dance expressions.

Another comparison with the West is that I think rituals and rituals still have a stronger effect in Asia than they do in the West. It is highly physical and emotional, metaphorical and non-verbal in nature, and is concerned with ego issues. However, some artists living in Asia today are pondering this situation and trying to find a way to navigate the gap between mind and body, thoughts and bodies, ideas and actions.

―― ``Death of the Pole Dancer'' also started with the pole being erected, which felt like a small ritual in itself.

You're right. However, what is more important about this work is that, after setting up that pole, she says, ``I'm not a pole dancer,'' and I don't want to show the cliché that everyone thinks, denying the typical image and representation of women that is superimposed on pole dancers. She does what she does and resists it.

Aisa Hokson “Death of the Pole Dancer” TPAM2015/Photo: Hideto Maezawa

Be independent

--In your curation, it seems like you place a particular emphasis on being independent.What does being independent mean to your creations?

Being independent is very important. More specifically, it is important in the sense that it allows you to form your own opinion and take action. At the same time, being alone does not mean being alone, but inevitably leads to collaboration with artists and institutions (public facilities). At the same time, in order to act as a kind of intermediary, one must be able to take advantage of the strengths of being an independent entity, and one must object to things with which one does not agree. This is an essential condition of being independent.

---I feel that Japan is weaker in terms of independence, and when I saw this work directed by Mr. Tan, I also felt a strong respect for your own activities.

Freedom always requires dialogue. Rather than doing everything on your own, you should always have conversations, create relationships from those conversations, develop them at an appropriate pace, and in the end arrive at something meaningful. I am acutely aware that we must continue this movement. In other words, in order to be ``free,'' one must have many connections, knowledge, and resources. This "freedom" is very important to me.

――Finally, please let us know your expectations and opinions about TPAM in the future.

I think we need to create a network that connects each other through this event, rather than just "Japan and Asia" or "Japan and Southeast Asia." Of course, this is not an easy task due to geographical issues and various frictions. We are not talking about utopia, but we need to make steady efforts to understand each other's differences, share and expand our possibilities together, and work towards creating a structure where we can discuss and face each other in peace. .