ARAI SHIN-ICHI
[TOKYO, JAPAN]

www.araiart.jp

"Petit Retrospective of ARAI Shin-ichi"
"works from 1999-2009"


Tuesday, May 5 - Saturday, May 9
8:00-10:00
Free

8:00pm 5th May 2009
"Viva! United States - for Herbert Norman"
http://www.araiart.jp/v304.html

8:00pm 6th May 2009
"Viva! Invasion and Puppets"
http://www.araiart.jp/vivainvasion.html

8:00pm 7th May 2009
"Happy Japan!"
special guest TANAKA Toshi
*TANAKA Toshi is ARAI's old friend who is a Sao Paulo
based Butoh dancer,calligrapher and master of bodywork.
see
http://www.jardimdosventos.com

8:00pm 8th May 2009
"Viva! Globalization For TANAKA Mitsu"
http://www.araiart.jp/0804273e.html

8:00pm 9th May 2009
"Thank you Joseph Beuys"
http://www.araiart.jp/9o105.html



ARAI SHIN-ICHI: I am a 42-year old unmarried man. I get up at 8:30 a.m. and leave home. (60,000 Yen/month: 6m x 8m, telephone bill: 5,000 Yen/month. Heat, light and water expenses: 10,000 Yen/month) Note: 1 USD = 120 Yen, 100 Yen = 0.83 USD ) at 8:50 a.m.. After a 10-minute ride, I park my bicycle at a parking place (2,500 Yen/month) in front of the station. Buying a ticket (400 Yen), I take the Chuo rapid train to Nakano, Tokyo. Even during off-peak times, the train is so crowded that one is unable to hold open a newspaper. After a 20-minute ride, I reach Nakano and switch to the Tozai subway line. As it starts at Nakano, I can get a seat. And another 20 minutes, I arrive at my workplace for the day, a publishing company. At work I read the proofs of computer magazine (20,000 Yen/day). At lunchtime, I eat a plate of sliced raw fish (800 Yen), buy a pack of cigarette (250 Yen) and a can of tea (120 Yen). I get off work at 6 p.m., call the head office of the employment firm by mobile phone (5,000 Yen/month) and learn that I have no job the next day. I step into a book store and buy the book, "Conceptual Art" (4,400 Yen), which I have been wanting to get though somewhat expensive for me. I go to Budo-ya, which is my favorite bar, and order a bottle of wine (2,400 Yen). Complaining to my barmates about my job, other's art performances and so on, I am getting dead drunk. At 0:30am, I pay the tab (5,000 Yen) and take the last train home (450 Yen) which takes an hour. The last train is crowded with many other drunken people like me, and as a matter of course, I cannot get a seat. Though I declare that I am an artist, basically I set off for work on a crowded train to earn money, like the average salaried worker. The only difference between them and me is that the total number of days I work varies between 5 and 20 days a month, which I have no control over.

Arai Shin-ichi www.araiart.jp/

Article by Lee Wen

ARAI lives and works in Tokyo. He has a B.A. in Chinese Modern Literature from Tokyo Metropolitan University under Mr.llKURA Shohei.Later he majored in printmaking (Intaglio/Copper printing) from 1981 to 1987 under ex Mr.YOSHIDA Katsuro (Mono-ha group).

He also began experimenting in sound, voice and language performance actions since 1982. As a Japan Overseas Cooperative Volunteer he taught at Nyumba ya Sanaa Art school in Zanzibar, Tanzania 1992-94 where he experienced various insights into the relationship between culture and politics in contemporary society. This led to his radical social-political performances today. In his raw and direct style, ARAI's body appears as a site of social tension presented with humor yet biting criticism. Often exposing the conservative and xenophobic cultural tendencies and contradictions in global and local situations. Besides performing regularly in Japan, ARAI has also presented his works internationally and especially in China such as Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Xian, Chengdu, Changchun, and Beijing.

(by Lee Wen)

Arai on myspace www.myspace.com/arashin

Curriculum Vitae

1959 May 7 Born in Toyama city. Japan

1978-83 Tokyo Metropolitan University, B.A. of Chinese modern literature under Mr. IIkura Shohei

1981-87 Bigakko Art School, majored in intaglio prints under ex Mr.YOSHIDA Katsuro

1990-91 Musashino Art University, M.F.A. give up School

1992-94 Teaching at Nyumba ya Sanaa Art school,Zanzibar,Tanzania

SELECTED PERFORMANCES

1982 "sound"&"voice"&"language"

1983 "Heavenly injection afternoon" Akagi Electric (+SAEGUSA Yukio+HOSHINO Masaharu+QUSUMI Takuya+AKAGI Noriko)

1984 "Flirting gristle 2" + TANAKA Toshi

1986 "for Basement of Keio Univ." Kroitzfeld Jacob (+KUWAHARA Masahiko +TANIKAWA Mari)

1987 "for Basement of A-Mike, NYC " The Force of job sites= FJ (+SAEGUSA),NYC

1988 "Sun flower, Hiroshima, Not for Deadly Emperor" +SONODA Satoshi

1989 "The shit for Emperor funeral" +SONODA

1990 "Infant minds" (+KUWAHARA, TANAKA,SAEGUSA, YANAKA Masanori)

1991 "for The wanderer with his shadow" FJ (+SAEGUSA+TANIKAWA)

1995 "50 years after losing the war", "A imagination from end of life" FJ (+SAEGUSA)

1996 "The labor of dream, The dream of labor" Happy-Lucky Stories (+SAEGUSA +TANIKAWA+SUZUKI Takeo)

1997-98 "Tribe conflict--Majority vs. Minority"

1998 "The 9th Korea-Japan Dance Festival in Seoul"

1999 participated"Nippon/Japan International Performance Art Festival(NIPAF)"
also 2000 "Row Your Boat"FJ i+SAEGUSA j Japan society NYC,USA (NPAF tour)
"Happy Japan! Happy family!", The 10th Korea-Japan Dance Festival in Tokyo

2000
"Happy Japan!" Jakarta, Taipei, Tokyo(NIPAF tour)
"Happy Japan"The 1st Open Art Festival in Beijing,China

2001
"Happy Japan!", "Daily Life" EXIT festival in Helsinki,Finland
"Tourist #1- Revolt impossible"
"Tourist #2-Revolt unuseful"
"Please take care of my wounds" The 2nd Open Art Festival in Sichuwan,China
2002
"I am very moved" Tokyo
"Happy Hong Kong!"
"Happy Communist party of China!"
"Happy Japan!"
"Happy Japan!
I was very moved" Hong Kong
"Tourist #3--Globalism"Guangzhou
"Tourist #4--Globalism/Internationalism"
"Happy Japan!"The 3rd Open Art Festival in Xi'an,China
"Tourist #5: For E. H. Norman" 7a*11d 4th International Festival of Performance Art in Toronto, Canada
"Tourist #6:YOU ARE NO GOOD" The 4th ASIATOPIA

2002
in Bangkok & Chiangmai, Thailand
2003
"Tourist #6:YOU ARE NO GOOD" Beijing-Tokyo art project Beijing, China
"Tourist #7:VIVA Globalism" PIPAF Manila, Philippine
"Tourist #7:VIVA Globalism!--at ex-capital city of Manchukuo
"The 4th Open Art Festival in Changchun, China

2004
"I like Japan!" The International Performance Art Festival in Bandung, Indonesia
"Tourist #7:VIVA! Globalisation
Azinomoto"
"Tourist #8:Jun-ichiro"Wed Action #4 in Jogjakarta
"Tourist #7:VIVA! Globalisation--Azinomoto"SOLO ACTiON! in Solo, Indonesia
"Tourist #8:Jun-ichiro--Our prime miniter" 2nd DaDao Live Art festival in Beijing, China
"Tourist #7:VIVA! Globalisation--Azinomoto"
"Tourist #9: International"
"Tourist #10: Thank you ,Joseph Beuys" The 5th Open Art Festival in Beijing, China

2005
"Viva! globalisation--Washing audience feet" Performance Site :Myanmar
05 "Borders : withIn withOut" in Yangon, Myanmar
"Tourists #11 We Have Good Constitutions" 3rd DaDao Live Art Festival in Beijing, China
"Tourist #9 International", "Viva! Globalisation--Azinomoto" June Art Action Live Art + Music in Hong Kong, China
"Happy Japan! Memory for Tainan private middle school of Presbyterian Church in days of occupation by Japan"
Reach Outlying 2005 TIPALive in Taipei, Taiwan
"Happy Japan! for Shu Yang" The 6th Open International Performance Art Festival in Chengdu, China
"Happy Japan! " The new world maps in Tokyo, Japan
"VIVA globalisation! "Artists in Action-the Power of the PowerLess!-in Hong Kong, China

2006
"YOU ARE NO GOOD -tourist #6-" FOI3: Future of Imagination 3 in Singapore
"Tourist #8 International" Great East Asia Co-prosperity Restaurant in Tokyo
"We love Kiko - Mother of 3G Emperor" The 7th Open International Performance Art Festival in Beijing
"Viva! United States -for Herbert Norman" Viva! Art Action in Montreal, Canada
"Happy Japan! for Shu Yang" Birds Migration in Jakarta, Indonesia

2007
"Arigatou Joseph Beuys - Thank you Joseph Beuys" THE CAT SHOW Cardiff Art in Time International PRRR-formance Art in Cardiff, UK
"Arigatou Joseph Beuys - Thank you Joseph Beuys","Happy Japan!","Viva! Globalisation" Art of Encountering Issue II in Cologne, Essen, Dsseldorf, Hildesheim, Kassel and Hannover, Germany
"Viva! Globalisation for Ding Ling" June-Alliance in Beijing, China
"Viva! Globalisation for Ding Ling" The 8th Open International Performance Art Festival in Beijing,China
"Black Flag for Lobin" Memorial for Foo Lobin in Hong Kong, China

2008
"Happy Japan!","Viva! Globalisation" TutoK2talk in Manila, Philippine.
"Viva! Globalisation for TANAKA Mitsu (activist of 70's Women's Lib in Japan) ""Happy Japan! for Shu Yang" Small East Asia Co-prosperity Restaurant 08 in Tokyo
"Happy Japan!" BIPAF 09 in Buchon, Korea
"Viva! Globalisation" in Gimchon, Korea
"Happy Japan!" VIVA! Asialization in Seoul,Korea
"Arigatou Joseph Beuys - Thank you Joseph Beuys" The 9th Open International Performance Art Festival in Beijing,China
"Viva! Invasion" Up-On festival in Chengdu, China
"Happy Japan! for Shu Yang" '08 Vital festival in Chongqin, China
"Viva! Invasion" Asiatopia 10 in Bangkok, Thailand

EXHIBITIONS
2008-2009 "Inward Grazes" exhibition for East Asia performance documentations at Museu de Arte de Macau

ORGANIZING
2006 Great East Asia Co-prosperity Restaurant in Tokyo
2008 Small East Asia Co-prosperity Restaurant 08 in Tokyo

EDUCATION
1978-83 Tokyo Metropolitan University, B.A. of Chinese Modern Literature under Mr. IIkura Shohei
1981-87 Bigakko Art School, majored in intaglio prints under ex Mr.YOSHIDA Katsuro
1990-91 Musashino Art University, M.F.A. give up School
1992-94 Teaching at Nyumba ya Sanaa Art school, Zanzibar, Tanzania