Petit Retrospective of ARAI Shin-ichi
Works from 1999-2009

at GRACE EXHIBITION SPACE

9 May 2009

ARAI Shin-ichi + Jill Mc Dermid
"Arigatou Joseph Beuys, Thank you Joseph Beuys"

ARAI said
When I was an art student, Joseph Beuys came to Japan for his big exhibition in Tokyo.
Also he had some lectures.
I atttended one of his lecture among a huge audience.
After the lecture many audience members wanted to get his signature. I also was in line with them.
At last I got it on my bag and was very happy!
Those days we disucussed very much that how we could make
new art which could revolt our society like Joseph Beuys.

In those days I met KONISHI Yasu. He studied under Joseph Beuys in Germany, and did performances one of that they cleand up street on May day in east Berlin with Joseph Beuys.
Also he did performance in Tokyo that he went to galleries and made a sissy on the floor every week.
So he was well known and most artists hated him very much. Pepole thought he was a gonzo.
These days I forget Joseph Beuys. Now for me he is not so important like student days.

Last year I visited my Chinese artist friend in Beijing whom I respect very much and found a paperback book about Joseph Beuys in Chinese at his book shelf
.

Jill spread butter and honey on 24 photo copies of Joseph Beuys works from "Leve Sieht Beuys."


ARAI walks around with toy rabit.


ARAI took one piece of photocopy with honey and butter by chopsticks.
And he put it with soy sauce and green wasabi of Japanese horseradish.
And put it in his mouth.
And said "Arigatou, Joseph Beuys" means "Thank you, Joseph Beuys" with Japanese style bow.
ARAI also wrote down important words of Joseph Beuys like "honey" in Japnese characters (not Chinese characters) on the Black board.
After 23 pieces inside his mouth and 23 bowings, ARAI could not continue.
So he stopped his doing.












At last ARAI wrote "Everybody is an ARATIST. Except Me" on the black board


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ARAI Shin-ichi (web master/shinichiarai@hotmail.com