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Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla

CCA Kitakyushu Project Gallery presented a new work by Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla.

For their project at CCA, Allora & Calzadilla created a new video work that considers the apparent unrealizable goal of Japan’s right to political sovereignty while maintaining its pacifist constitution.

“At the end World War II, a United States authored “No War” clause was added to the Japanese constitution as part of the demilitarization process, forbidding Japan from maintaining an army, navy or air force, as well as the use of force as a means to settling international disputes. Since the late-1990s, this clause known as Article 9 has been the central feature of debate over Japan’s ability to determine its own foreign policy. Today the Japanese government is considering an amendment that may revoke its pacifist constitution and thus reopen the possibility of becoming an armed state (as of 2007).”

“This video takes place in a soccer field in the city of Kitakyushu. In the foreground the 2 soccer goals were placed together, facing each other. Functioning as types of shields, they create a self-contained world, while their normal function is rendered inoperative. On a small hill overlooking the field is a palm tree. Beyond it are neighborhood houses nestled into the base of Mt. Sarakura. Partly hidden among the tree fronds are 3 musicians playing various repertories of war music, staging a confrontation somewhere between a symphony and cacophony that become the soundtrack to this impossible game. These sonic reverberations travel as an echo to the rest of the landscape, a reverberation from the past which extends its meaning towards the future as an unsettling echo in a country reconsidering its military status in today’s global state of war.”

Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla stayed at CCA Kitakyushu as Professors of Research Program from January 8th to February 4th, 2007.

This post is also available in: Japanese