Japanese born multi-faceted artist Mieko Suzuki is always a good go-to source when in need of grid challenging ideas involving a multitude of artistic discplines.
This time round, she has teamed up with Christian Graupner from German organization Humatic and Singaporean dancer Ming Poon for an interactive installation involving the traditional Maneki-Neko lucky cat figurine. Entitled MNM, the project allows users to control and remix a pre-recorded audio-visual flux with the figurine’s arm as well as buttons, levers and a turntable. The spectactor doesn’t require any specific form of knowledge prior to the interaction with the machine and can select his level of involvment, ranging from observer to co-performer.
When asked about the choice of the Maneki-Neko cat, Graupner replies “It is pop, it is confusing, it is a ready-made. We introduce well known stuff in a new context and leave it open to the visitor to read the old or a new meaning or just allow the juggling in between with the option to find a totally new interpretation”.
The MNM project is backed by the musical interaction team at IRCAM (Centre Pompidou) and has already been featured at the Cynetart festival in Dresden, the Némo Festival in Paris, Krake Festival 2018 in Berlin, and has been featured in The creators project (Vice) and Noisey (Vice).
Book Mieko Suzuki and the MNM installation or for DJ sets worldwide HERE.