The Reconstruction Poject: Love in Tokyo

Identity when faced with contrast can reflect, compress, reconcile and accept, or it could be thrown into a state of total dissonance. But what if dissonance bears a greater burden than acceptance? Dimple… investigates identity construction when it’s in a state of dissonance - partly circumstantial and partly self-inflicted. This body of work which results from a two-month residency period at Youkobo Art Space in Tokyo, Japan explores concepts of belonging, homing and reconciling with one’s identity in a foreign country where self-awareness is most heightened as a result of cultural contrast. This paradoxical relationship with the self is explored through mini-vignettes of moving images, sound and installation.

The Reconstruction Project: Love in Tokyo will take place on two levels. Firstly, faced with many culturally incongruous encounters, how does one try to belong or attempt to home oneself in a foreign country while trying to combat episodes of homesickness and nostalgia? And secondly, how do these encounters with foreignness help define and construct one’s identity? Acts of reconciliation with certain culturally inherent traits and elements of conditioning that cannot be undone will be used to create an image of a person coming to terms with themselves and, slowly accepting and falling in love with parts of their identity.

Date	2010.07.01 - 2010.08.31
Place	Residence 1