text from "Today's Artist, Manya KATO" cataloge
Avoid the Traps of Manya Kato
The first exhibit of Manya Kato's work I saw included a sculptural work exaggeratedly ensconced in the middle of the room. Looking more closely, I found it had button. Naturally I felt drawn to press it to see what would happen. When I gave in to my curiosity and gently touched it, the word "off" lit up. I had been certain something would happen so it took a moment before I understood the show was over. With a wry grin I realized that the notion that pushing the button would result in something was a preconception that didn't exits anywhere but in my mind. The piece wasn't leading me on - after all, it said "off."
Based on the information we manage to access, our individual knowledge, and past experiences, we constantly attempt to predict turns of events, to plan what we should do next, and to understand what is correct and of value and what is not. As Manya Kato's shows, these unconscious judgments, or preconceptions, masquerade as common sense.
The artist's experience in England from 1997 to 1999 is deeply connected with the deceptive aspects of his work. “Convergence” was created during this period when his sensitivity to differences in so-called common sense was at its peak. This piece, a rendition of a dartboard, includes only the number 20 and enough lines from the pie-shaped, 20-point section to allow the viewer to envision an entire dartboard. The remainder of the board is unlined an unlabeled - as though erased. people with only a vague idea of this indoor pastime are likely to aim for the center of the board. Manya Kato assumed this himself until he noticed the TV cameras were showing close-ups of the 20-point section throughout the English dart tournament. Aiming for the 20-point area seems to be "common sense "for people who know their darts, so Kato thought leaving off the other numbers made sense. It's a frustrating board if you want a bull's eye but for darts strategists, "Convergence" may be the ultimate dartboard.
Common sense is known to shift with national boundaries. These gaps in what we, and others consider the correct way of going about life, however, may vary even within a culture, group, or relationship. how many times have we been sure we were on target, only to discover a "direct miss?" Discrepancies in common sense are hidden and numerous in everyday life. Kato's work points this out by taking common everyday things, things we tend to see without noticing, and shifting the information and preconceptions we bring to them. This turns them into forgeries that deceive us into laughing away the common sense we hold so dear.
The model train in the piece "Double Negative" appears to be stationary because the ground beneath it is rolling away in the opposite direction. "Full-Scale Replica of an Unidentified Falling Object," billed in the accompanying sensational newspaper report as a captured invader fallen from outer space, turns out to be just a doll. The button on the sculpture dose nothing more than confirm it is "off." I've seen suspicious expressions on the faces of people looking at this work. I've seen heads titled in discomfort and puzzlement at the cumbersome feeling of deceit the work engenders. But the work itself seems uncomfortable, too; dissatisfied with its fate, if you will.
If we were to observe the earth from outer space perhaps trains would appear to be going backwards, If what is exhibited is a "Full-Scale Replica" perhaps Manya Kato really did pick up an invader from outer space. The more we seek to believe there is only on way of doing a thing the further we fall into his maze-trap. Yet we mustn't allow ourselves to be deceived by this artist. Nor should we indignantly suggest the work is nonsense. What he is encouraging us to do is to abstain from dogmatically believing there is only one way of doing things. Kato is not to blame if we slip into his trap. All he has done is to supply proof that we are unable to think outside the box and evidence that we are in bondage to common sense.
Finally, in the piece "Friction" Manya Kato takes us one step further into this query. Instead of deliberating over what to do as we stand in front of this pedestrian crossing light that tells us first to walk and five seconds later, to stop, we could notice the long black electric cord that Kato has temptingly snaked across the floor and go right over and pull the socket out of the wall. In other words, Kato is reminding us that we can choose to take responsibility and release ourselves from the common sense of "green means go" and "read means stop." On busy city streets, I'm sure you'd rely on common sense. But I can't help hoping you'll take Kato's hint and mentally unplug or roll away the traffic light of rigid thinking.
Noriko Oguchi
Curator, Osaka Contemporary Art Center
Text translation : Wanda Miyata