Shobun BAILE

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Shobun BAILE

Participating Project	Research Residency Program
Activity Based	New York City
City / Place stayed	Tokyo
Period	2025.10 - 2025.11

Purpose of the residency

I'm doing research on spatial rupture through philosopher Ōhashi Ryōsuke's concept of kire-tsuzuki (cut-continuance)—looking at how struggles over space and borders create aesthetics that work across ecological and social breaks.
The project has two parts: contemporary temporary architectures that emerge from ecological and social pressures, and the history of Japanese radical filmmaking that documented spatial struggle. I'm particularly interested in collectives like Ogawa Pro and their Sanrizuka series, which filmed communities resisting spatial transformation. I’ll be exploring how both cinema and architecture mediate presence and exclusion during moments of crisis looking back into historical archives as well.
This research will be the backbone for an upcoming essay film as well as a short narrative film.

Plan during the residency

• Interview Ōhashi Ryōsuke in Kyoto on Kire-tsuzuki
• Research on transitional architectures at the National Archives of Modern Architecture
• Research at National Film Archive of Japan
• Field research in Tokyo, Narita Airport

Activities during the residency

I came to TOKAS with the goal of exploring Kire-Tsuzuki (cut-continuance) as an aesthetic and political concept. I met with philosopher Ohashi Ryosuke to explore how he has theorized this idea in the context of Japanese aesthetics, as well as its 20th century political history. To conduct my research I visited museums, exhibitions, and archives that dealt with large architectural and infrastructural changes in 20th century Japan, specifically focusing on informal economies and infrastructures. I also conducted research into the building and car demolition industry in contemporary Tokyo, focusing on the economies and immigrant groups that are readily employed in these industries. I also continued my ongoing work looking at hawala, the informal money transfer system based in South Asia, and how it is used in Japan.

Outcome of the residency

My research here lead to some important discoveries in relation to my ongoing work with hawala which allowed me to further develop a film work, as well as planted seeds for more work. I also was able to meet quite a few people that gave me access to some important future leads for film projects, and gave some clarity on how some of these older informal markets (yami-ichi) might still be relevant frames for thinking about contemporary sociopolitical shifts in Japan and the economies/infrastructures that arise. I plan to return to Japan to continue this work in the coming year. 

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