Klara KIRSCH

• TOP >
• Archives >
• Residency Program >
• Klara KIRSCH

Klara KIRSCH

Participating Project	Exchange Residency Program (Creators from abroad)
Activity Based	Berlin
City / Place stayed	Tokyo
Period	2024.9 - 2024.11

Purpose of the residency

During the residency I want to focus on my project 5-Star-Freedom which deals with the connection of public shaming and the limits of free speech on the internet. I want to deepen my research, experiment with collage, relief techniques and different materials and develop a multimedia approach in relation to current news and the local cityscape. After starting from my own European/Western standpoint I want to broaden my horizon and also look at Japanese points of view.

Plan during the residency

• Theoretical research on shaming punishments, hatespeech, internet culture, worldwide and specifically in Japan
• Material research on relief techniques
• Collecting material and objects
• Trying out performative approaches/video
• Concept for a lecture performance
  

Activities during the residency

In the beginning of my research about online shaming and shaming punishments, I did a lot of reading. In order to learn about the punishment system in Edo Period, I visited the Criminal Materials Department of the Meiji University Museum. Browsing through online archives, libraries and social media, I started collecting images and found footage. The daily commuting in Tokyo, observing city life and the conversations with different people I met, also sparked my interest in Japanese work culture. So for my video, I developed a fictional story line about two office workers which I combined with my research findings. At the same time, I experimented with embossing methods. I visited Moriki paper to learn about different types of Japanese paper and possible options for printing and embossing. In the end, though, I decided to use aluminum sheets to make a series of engravings. In addition to the video, I also developed a performance for the OPEN STUDIO.

Outcome of the residency

During the residency, I was able to create a video, a performance and a series of aluminum engravings. The extended research phase enabled me to get a deeper understanding of public shaming as a social control mechanism in general and specifically in Japan’s society. It was a really good experience to collaborate with other residents for my own work and another project which is planned next year in Amsterdam. During networking events, the OPEN STUDIO and outside of TOKAS, I met some artists, researchers and curators and had some insightful conversations about my work and possible other projects. In the future, I really hope to deepen the connections I made in Japan, to work on another project in relation to this country and to exhibit my work here as well. My time at TOKAS has taught me a lot about my own process and I would like to keep working in a similar way - between research, observation, fiction, found footage and in connection with my surroundings. For future projects, though, I would like to work more directly with local experts of my research field and/or collaborate with other performers.

Creator Information