Spelling Dystopia
Nina Fischer and Maroan el Sani are fascinated by signifiers of former glory, such as old centres of political culture, avant-garde art and social developments. Through their work, they hope to raise awareness of these places in contemporary society. Such places have been stripped of the utopia with which they were once associated, although this isn't always forgotten and they hover in a state of redefinition.
Haunted Hashima
The Japanese island of Hashima is the focus of their latest film Spelling Dystopia. Constructed entirely of concrete, this artificial island has had a rough history. Up until 1974, it played an important role in the Japanese mining industry. During the Second World War, the island served as a camp for war prisoners from Korea and China. In the sixties, the small island measuring 160 x 450 metres was one of the most densely populated places in the world. At one point Hashima was stretched to breaking point, with more than 5,000 Mitsubishi mineworkers living on the island. Following an exodus in 1974, the concrete architecture has been left to battle against the elements. In 2000, the science fiction film Battle Royale was filmed on the island - the younger generations only know the deserted island from films, manga and video games.
Collective memories
Fischer and El Sani are also interested in collective memory transfer. In Spelling Dystopia, recollections of a former island inhabitant are combined with stories told by students based on fragments of the film Battle Royale.
Nina Fischer and Maroan el Sani are fascinated by signifiers of former glory, such as old centres of political culture, avant-garde art and social developments. Through their work, they hope to raise awareness of these places in contemporary society. Such places have been stripped of the utopia with which they were once associated, although this isn't always forgotten and they hover in a state of redefinition.
Haunted Hashima
The Japanese island of Hashima is the focus of their latest film Spelling Dystopia. Constructed entirely of concrete, this artificial island has had a rough history. Up until 1974, it played an important role in the Japanese mining industry. During the Second World War, the island served as a camp for war prisoners from Korea and China. In the sixties, the small island measuring 160 x 450 metres was one of the most densely populated places in the world. At one point Hashima was stretched to breaking point, with more than 5,000 Mitsubishi mineworkers living on the island. Following an exodus in 1974, the concrete architecture has been left to battle against the elements. In 2000, the science fiction film Battle Royale was filmed on the island - the younger generations only know the deserted island from films, manga and video games.
Collective memories
Fischer and El Sani are also interested in collective memory transfer. In Spelling Dystopia, recollections of a former island inhabitant are combined with stories told by students based on fragments of the film Battle Royale.
- Directed by:Nina Fischer
Agenda
| Cobra Museum of Modern Art | ||||||
| 30 Jan 2010 | until | 25 Apr 2010 | € |
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