Ghost Mountain Ghost Shovel: Charting the Contours of Time
September 28, 2023
Yamanaka Suplex, in collaboration with Kyoto Art Center, is pleased to present “Charting the Contours of Time,” a solo exhibition by Taipei-based art collective Ghost Mountain Ghost Shovel.
Ghost Mountain Ghost Shovel has staged performance works that construct ephemeral situations; comprising installation, sound, hypnotic rhetoric, urban violence, political turmoil, bodily memories of unusual states, historical reenactment, and symbols from Japan’s former sovereignty, their work leads the audience into poetic, multilayered performance spaces.
The work Charting the Contours of Time, first shown in 2018 in Taipei and making its debut in Japan for the first time, is a live performance inspired by the Tainai Meguri (“journey to the womb”) of Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto and takes place in complete darkness. In a former gymnasium (now the Multi-purpose Hall in Kyoto Art Center) of an elementary school established during the era of modernization in Japan, viewers are instructed to put on US-made night vision goggles and gaze at body movements under visually restricted conditions. Through the art experience, Ghost Mountain Ghost Shovel’s work invites us to contemplate issues of participation and psychological immersion; the history of Taiwan and Japan; and the political relations of East Asia.
◾️ Date and time
Friday, October 27 – Monday, October 30, 2023
11:02–, 12:15–, 13:32–, 15:15–, 16:32–, 17:45–
Tickets are valid for one session only.
Performance time: approximately 30 minutes.
[SOLD OUT infomation]
27th Fri. ⑤16:32, ⑥17:45
28th Sat. ①11:02, ④15:15, ⑤16:32, ⑥17:45
29th Sun. ①11:02, ⑥17:45
30th Mon. ①11:02
◾️ Venue
Kyoto Art Center Multi-purpose Hall (546-2 Yamabushiyama-cho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8156)
◾️ Capacity
Capacity: 10 people / per session (Advance booking required)
*General admission tickets will be sold at the ticket counter pending availability.
◾️Admission
Adults: ￥1,000 / Students (University/High school): ￥500 / Junior high school students and under: Free
*Students must bring a valid proof of identification (e.g. student ID card).
*Children under 12 years of age must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over.
*Pre-school children are not permitted to the show.
*For visitors with small children, childcare service is available at the temporary childcare facilities located at Kyoto Art Center and ACK. For more information, please see under “Childcare Service” below.
◾️ Reservations
Please select the session you wish to attend in the link below and proceed to the booking and payment page.
October 27: https://t.livepocket.jp/e/gmgs-1027–
October 28: https://t.livepocket.jp/e/gmgs-1028–
October 29: https://t.livepocket.jp/e/gmgs-1029–
October 30: https://t.livepocket.jp/e/gmgs-1030–
*We do not accept changes or cancellations after a booking has been made.
*Sales on the website close at 10.00 on the day.
◾️ Important Notes on Participation
This is a participatory performance where visitors are invited to view the work in complete darkness using night vision goggles. Please read the following warnings carefully before choosing to participate. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the organizer.
*Please arrive at the reception 10 minutes before the scheduled performance. You will not be allowed to enter the venue after the show has started.
*Night vision goggles are required to view this performance, so contact lenses are recommended for those with glasses. If you wear glasses, please tick the box in the online booking form.
*If you require wheelchair assistance or additional assistance, please tick the box in the online booking form.
*Please wear comfortable shoes for safe viewing.
*Hand luggage is not allowed in the exhibition space. Please use the cloakroom located at the reception desk.
◾️ Cast and staff
Concept: Ghost Mountain Ghost Shovel
Director: Val Lee
Performers: Chu-Hua Wang, Chun-Wen Liang, Fly Wu, Momoko Kimura
Sculptor: Momoko Kimura
Reception and Goggles Guides: Kazuya Inoue, Hiroyuki Kozaka, Lim Pei Ern
Curator: Takuya Tsutsumi
Stage Director: Yohei Sogo
Sound: Hao Luo
Graphic Design: Yusuke Mimasu (ym design)
Record and photography: Takuya Matsumi
Project Manager: Masayo Matsuda, Tomo Seto (KYOTO ART CENTER)
◾️ Childcare service
Childcare service is available via advance booking on the following dates and locations.
Kyoto Art Center
Saturday, October 28 14:45–16:15
For reservations, contact setou@kac.or.jp with your full name, number of children, and age(s) by Saturday, October 21. The above slot is available in conjunction with the session commencing at 15:15 (end time 16:15).
Kyoto International Conference Center (ACK)
Friday, October 27 – Monday, October 30
Click here for more details.
◾️Organizer
Yamanaka Suplex, KYOTO ART CENTER (Kyoto Arts and Culture Foundation)
◾️ Support
Ogasawara Toshiaki Memorial Foundation, Istyle Art and Sports Foundation, Art Collaboration Kyoto Executive Committee, Department of Cultural Affairs Taipei City Government
Selected Project for KYOTO ART CENTER Co-program 2023 Category A
◾️ Inquiries
Email Address: yamanaka.suplex@gmail.com (Yamanaka Suplex)
Phone Number: (+81) 75-213–1000 (Kyoto Art Center)
◾️ Artist Profile
Director and visual artist Val Lee founded the art collective Ghost Mountain Ghost Shovel in 2008 in Taipei. Ghost Mountain Ghost Shovel uses ephemeral situations to lead the audience into a form of live art: comprising action scripts, installation, sound, hypnotic rhetoric, and mise-en-scène, they employ complex structures to create political fables with a dream-like method. Ghost Mountain Ghost Shovel and Val Lee have exhibited in numerous exhibitions, including the Taiwan National Experimental Theater (2023); the Taiwan Contemporary Cultural Lab (2023); Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin (2022); the Grand Palais, Paris (2022); Vernacular Institute, Mexico City (2022); Forum des Images, Paris (2021); National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (2021); the Hong-Gah Museum, Taipei (2021); and the Danish feminist initiative ARIEL (2020). They have participated in the Taipei Arts Festival (2019–2022); Gwangju Biennale (2021); Taiwan Biennial (2021); the Urban Nomad Film Fest (2017); and the Month of Performance Art in Berlin (2011). In 2019, Ghost Mountain Ghost Shovel held a residency at Kinosaki International Arts Center (KIAC) in Hyogo Prefecture, where they facilitated workshops with the local community.
