Dance Floor as Study Room—したたかにたゆたう

In her film installation pieces, van oldenborgh has been dealing with matters related to racism, gender issues, aspects of history, and power structures based on ideas of dominance, as represented by colonialism. In recent years, she has conducted research on female artists from Japan, Indonesia, and the Netherlands, including the actress and movie director Kinuyo Tanaka (1909-1977) and the writer Fumiko Hayashi (19031951), both of whom are from Yamaguchi Prefecture.
In this exhibition, three previous works and a new f ilm installation focussing on those artists will be shown together along with a specially conceived architecture designed like a "dance floor" as a setting that embodies diversity in culture and society.

A diverse program revolving around a dance floor and a study room as key elements

The Japanese title of this exhibition, “Shitataka ni tayutau,“ refers to a state of freedom that is rooted in free and unclassified will and possible ways of facing oppression by others without resorting to violence. On display are a total of four works, including a new creation in which the artist utilises the medium of film to address issues related to gender and power, both in a time of war and colonial dominance, as well as in the current times.

The new work that is unveiled here was inspired by women artists who were active between the 1930s and ‘50s in Japan, the Netherlands and Indonesia, including Kinuyo Tanaka, Fumiko Hayashi, Beb Vuyk (1905-1991), Ratna Asmara (1913-1968) and Suwarsih Djojopuspito (1912-1977). The time of their activity was when Indonesia was under Dutch and Japanese colonial rule, and became independent from both eventually. And thus, they experienced significant changes in the political landscape and living conditions. Focusing on personal struggles in the repressive systems of the respective occupying forces, the work highlights the common ideas that informed each of these women’s endeavors, also in connection with the racism and gender problems that are still relevant in the present age. The set-up includes a "dance floor" that was inspired by queer party culture, connecting to the exhibition's general theme. The physical experience that unfolds through this architecture embodies that.

Various other events designed to enhance the visitor’s experience are also on the program, such as talk sessions and interactive events with invited scholars, artists, and other specialists from different fields, using the knowledge and experience with workshop development that the YCAM staff has cultivated thus far, as well as reading sessions and other related programs.

The terms “dance floor” and “study room” in the title hint at the idea behind the diverse program points, which were put together for visitors to observe and experience the exhibition’s overall theme physically and intellectually.