Cover image of BOOJUM

Data

Location
Diesel Denim Gallery Aoyama, Tokyo, Japan
Team
Megumi Matsubara
Completion year
2008
Exhibition title
Megumi Matsubara with Assistant - BOOJUM
Exhibition period
30 Aug 2008 - 9 Feb 2009
Commissioner
Diesel
Curator
Masaaki Takahashi / BRIZHEAD
Floor area
90 sqm
Collaborators
Ilpo Jauhiainen (Music)
Micke Thorsby (Music note animation)
Photographers
Martin Holtkamp
Urls
Boojum - Diesel Art Gallery

An installation “BOOJUM” is based on and takes its title from the imaginary creature described in Lewis Carroll’s poem ‘The Hunting of the Snark’.
A set of 10 linked machines, all named with words starting with letter B come to life in the gallery: a spring-loaded seesaw ‘Bounce’, a table with broken leg ‘Broke’, ‘Blind’ framing a wall for an animated projection, a cheval glass ‘Backwards’ with a balloon which inflates to tilt a mirror are a few examples.

Here is Megumi Matsubara’s description of how ‘Boojum’ works:

BOOJUM is a mechanism that creates a Balance in nonsense.
The machines are all black in colour and completely motionless until the Blind opens its eye to see sunrise between the Brooklyn and the Bridge.
When the Biscuit pours the Backwards out a cup of tea, the Bounce screams to call the Beijing to join the table.
The Broke always sits in silence when the Because passes by searching for the slit.
The Blemish is the only machine whose presence is not shown in any form.

Images

  • M081149

    "BACKWARDS"

    Photo © Martin Holtkamp

  • boojum_floorplan

    Floor plan

    Photo © ASSISTANT

  • Megumi Matsubara Exhibition BOOJUM at Diesel Denim Gallery Tokyo

    8 doors of "BEIJING"

    Photo © Martin Holtkamp

  • _M081065

    Installation view

    Photo © Martin Holtkamp

  • Megumi Matsubara Exhibition BOOJUM at Diesel Denim Gallery Tokyo

    "BROOKLYN"

    Photo © Martin Holtkamp

  • Beijing

    "BECAUSE"

    Photo © Martin Holtkamp

  • Megumi Matsubara Exhibition at Diesel Denim Gallery

    "BRIDGE"

    Photo © Martin Holtkamp

  • Megumi Matsubara Exhibition

    "BRIDGE"

    Photo © Martin Holtkamp

  • Beijing

    "BEIJING"

    Photo © Martin Holtkamp

  • Megumi Matsubara Exhibition

    "BLIND" and "BISCUIT"

    Photo © Martin Holtkamp

  • Bridge

    "BRIDGE"

    Photo © Martin Holtkamp

  • M081345

    "BACKWARDS"

    Photo © Martin Holtkamp

  • Megumi Matsubara Exhibition at Diesel Denim Gallery

    "BROKE", "BLIND" and "BISCUIT"

    Photo © Martin Holtkamp

  • Megumi Matsubara Exhibition at Diesel Denim Gallery

    "BRIDGE" and "BLIND"

    Photo © Martin Holtkamp

  • M081261

    Photo © Martin Holtkamp

  • Megumi Matsubara Exhibition at Diesel Denim Gallery

    "BROKE"

    Photo © Martin Holtkamp

  • _M081104

    "BOUNCE"

    Photo © Martin Holtkamp

  • _M081084

    Installation view

    Photo © Martin Holtkamp

Audiovisuals

Linked Projects