The past is a foreign country

The collaboration project between Michikazu Matsune and Jun Yang deals with the stories of two men whose conflict, understanding and friendship is forged in territories and borders with varying topography – sea, land and outer space. The work examines the political contexts around East Asian border conflicts since the 17th century and the ocean as the realm of absolute freedom. The featured stories also touch on historic events such as the 1969 moon landing of the two NASA astronauts as well as the 2018 summit between North and South Korean leaders. Artists Michikazu Matsune and Jun Yang, who have both been working across different cultural settings, poetically bridge the divide between the present and the past, political and personal, national and individual.


A project by Michikazu Matsune and Jun Yang
Presented at Gwangju Biennale 2018, Kunsthaus Graz and Tanzquartier Wien
Supported by the Cultural Department of the City of Vienna / MA7 and BKA Bildende Kunst
2018/2019







Live performance
combining photographic panels and narrative stories
based on the traditional Japanese picture-show style called Kamishibai
In English / Length 45 min
Photo: Matsune & Yang






Installation with video, images and objects
Presentation view at Gwangju Biennial 2018
Curated by Gridthiya Gaweewong
Photo: Matsune & Yang

works