Ha/f Culture - Mr.: Nobody Dies

For the exotic, displaced, and eclectic. For those who are unique but can seemingly be from anywhere. For those who cannot accurately discribe themselves by checking “all that apply.” And for anyone who has ever been asked:

What are you?

Ha/f Culuture is a collection of articles and artifacts that celebrate the eccentric and multicolored; what is niether here nor there.

Mr.: Nobody Dies

On view at the Lenmann Maupin gallery is a 35 minute film by Kaikai Kiki contributor Mr. The first film by the Japanese artist expands upon his examination of the Otaku subculture, which emerged in the 1970s and mainly consists of obsessive males whose fetishes include cuteness or kawaii, Mr. uses adolescent Japanese girls he discovered on the streets of Tokyo as the subjects for his film. Inspired by the painting “It Hurts When it Hits Bare Skin,” the film follows these fictional characters, who are obsessed with a war-like survival game, as they transform from their peaceful everyday lives into Technicolor warriors outfitted in pink, yellow and green camouflage with matching guns. Throughout the film, the camera lingers suggestively on the girls, which makes for and awkward and uncomfortable viewing but is likely the point.

The monumental painting that inspired the film, “It Hurts When it Hits Bare Skin,” is also on on view at the gallery. The LM press release describes the sea of gumball colors: “Crowds gather in the Akihabara (Akiba) neighborhood around toy dispensers similar to those found in American supermarkets in hopes of winning coveted prizes. Never knowing exactly what item will emerge, they cheer “gotcha-gotcha”, the sound that the machine makes as it is dispensing the toy. This neighborhood is the epicenter of Otaku devotees and Mr. continues to explore this subculture that is obsessed with technology, manga, sci-fi literature, anime and video games.”

Nobody Dies
Through 21 February 2009
Lehmann Maupin
201 Chrystie Street
New York, NY 10002 map
tel +1 212 254 0054