Leonardo BÜRGI TENORIO

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Leonardo BÜRGI TENORIO

Participating Project	Exchange Residency Program (Creators from abroad)
Activity Based	Basel
City / Place stayed	Tokyo
Period	2024.1 - 2024.3

Purpose of the residency

In my work I blend my artistic practice sometimes with my culinary interest. Since I’m interested in fungi as a natural matter and living thing, I started to be more interested in the use of fungi and mycelium in the culinary world to find narratives of coexistence and codependencies. I want to focus on the use of kōji aspergillus oryzae in food production and translate the poetical aspect of that relationship between humans and fungi. I’m also very curious about the local cultural art scene in Japan.

Plan during the residency

• Research on the culture and history of aspergillus oryzae, known also as "tane-kōji"
• Visit different production sites for miso, shoyu(soy sauce), tamari and sake
• Make drawings
• Experiment with cultivation of tane-kōji in trays or work with carvings
• Develope ideas for art works with tane-kōji

Activities during the residency

For my residency in Tokyo, I planned to get an insight into the kōji culture and in general the Japanese fermentation culture. I visited many people who work in different fields, such as miso producers, shoyu(soy sauce) producers, kōji producers, kōji-kin producers and researchers. I visited different fermentation factories in the prefecture of Yamanashi, Aichi, Wakayama and Kagawa. All of them, traditional producers which still ferment in "kioke" (wooden barrels). As I was researching on the kōji culture I was interested in the use of wood as a traditional material used in the production, opposed to an industrialized logic of hygiene and sterile environments. I started to work with cedar wood plates by carving drawings and images into the surface. At the same time, I started to work with different colored kōji-kin to create an installative landscape. To conclude my research, I worked on an essayistic video about the research and my thoughts.

Outcome of the residency

I was able to have a very deep and intimate insight into the work and production of kōji. I was very happy about the possibilities to visit the places and about the help from TOKAS in helping out with contacting them. I thought it was a good idea to do it that way. Unfortunately, I didn’t find the time nor did I have the contacts to get in touch with researchers at the universities. For a next time, I’d like to also emphasize the researchers to have a different view on the topic. I’ll keep working on the topic and the research has brought me closer to working with wood and with carving. At the same time, it led me to think more about the idea of creating a multidisciplinary space for food culture in Basel. I’m working on a concept to find fundings and to develop a project. I think it won’t be the last time that I’ll be in Japan. I want to take care of the network and to keep connected with the people I met in Japan and who work with fermentation.
I had the great honor to visit the Kamebishiya shoyu factory which produces shoyu which is 20 years old and one which will be kept till 50 years of age. They were very open-minded and were keen to show me how they produced and made me participate in the process of filling the "Muro" incubator with the inoculated substrate.
I was also very happy to have met the owner of the Inoue Hamono wood chisel seller. He was very open to show me the store and the products he has. I learned a lot about the tools and the work with wood and carving.

Creator Information