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Still of video titled ‘Kusama's Self-Obliteration’. Black-and-white close-up shot of the head and the raised torch of the Statue of Liberty in the United States. Parts of her crown, face, arm and the torch are covered by five big white polka dots.

Kusama’s Circle:
1960s New York

Details
Programme: Kusama's Infinite Universe
Director: Multiple
Format: Digital / 75 min.
Language: Multiple (with English subtitles)
Audience: Adults
Location: House 1, House 2
Accessibility: Wheelchair
More Info:

Ticket Information

Standard: HKD 85

Concession: HKD 68


This programme contains sensitive content and is restricted to viewers ages 18 or above.

Still of video titled ‘Kusama's Self-Obliteration’. Black-and-white close-up shot of the head and the raised torch of the Statue of Liberty in the United States. Parts of her crown, face, arm and the torch are covered by five big white polka dots.

Kusama’s Circle:
1960s New York

In the 1960s, the performance-based practices of Yayoi Kusama, Charlotte Moorman, Yoko Ono, and Carolee Schneemann took centre stage in New York, an important node for the international Fluxus art movement. This programme highlights the critical role of women artists who pushed beyond traditional artistic and social boundaries in 1960s New York.

Complementing Yayoi Kusama: 1945 to Now, this screening features Kusama’s Self-Obliteration and Opera Sextronique by Jud Yalkut; Rare Performance Documents by Nam June Paik and Charlotte Moorman; Cut Piece by Yoko Ono; and Meat Joy and Body Collage by Carolee Schneemann.

The screening on 12 January will be followed by a post-screening talk in English with New Jersey City University Professor of Art History and Gallery Director Dr Midori Yoshimoto via video call. Yoshimoto will discuss how Kusama and her contemporaries broke taboos by utilising their own bodies in performances. The talk will be moderated by M+ Curator of Moving Image Ulanda Blair.

Still of video titled ‘Kusama's Self-Obliteration’. Outdoor, Kusama in her thirties or forties wearing a long red robe is riding a seal brown horse. Her robe and on the horse’s body are covered with white polka dots.

Jud Yalkut and Yayoi Kusama. Kusama's Self-Obliteration, 1967. Single-channel 16mm film transferred to digital video, duration: 23 min. 29 sec. Collection of the artist. © YAYOI KUSAMA

Still of video titled ‘Meat Joy’. Close-up shot of a woman’s bottom wearing only a red bikini brief trimmed with black feathers. She is putting her hands on the hips, while holding a raw fish in each hand.

Carolee Schneemann. Meat Joy, 1964, re-edited 2010. Single-channel digital video (colour, sound), duration: 10 min. 33 sec. M+, Hong Kong. © Carolee Schneemann/EAI/ARS

Still of video titled ‘Body Collage’. Black-and-white shot of a room covered with transparent plastic films. In the room is a nude young woman whose face and body are only covered with white paper strips. She holds her arms wide open with a passionate expression.

Carolee Schneemann. Body Collage, 1967. Single-channel 16mm film transferred to digital video (B&W, silent), duration: 4 min. 12 sec. M+, Hong Kong. © Carolee Schneemann/EAI/ARS

Still of video titled ‘Rare Performance Documents by Nam June Paik and Charlotte Moorman. Against a colourful background is a young woman with long curly hair and blue eyes. Wearing a black vest, she is looking outside the frame with her head titled.

Charlotte Moorman and Nam June Paik. Rare Performance Documents, 1961–1994. Volume 1: Paik-Moorman Collaborations, 1965–1973, compiled 2000. Single-channel digital video (B&W, colour, sound), duration: 25 min. 8 sec. M+, Hong Kong. © Charlotte Moorman/EAI

Still of video titled ‘Opera Sextronique’. Black-and-white shot of a nude young woman with long curly hair holding a cello. Her left hand is pressing the strings, while her right hand is using a viola as the bow. Looking closely at the scores, she appears focused playing the instrument.

Jud Yalkut. Opera Sextronique, 1967. Single-channel 16mm film transferred to digital video (B&W, colour, silent), duration: 5 min. 10 sec. M+, Hong Kong. © Jud Yalkut/EAI

Still of video titled ‘Cut Piece’. Black-and-white shot of the young Yoko Ono sitting on the floor with her clothing torn. The straps are snipped, exposing her shoulders. The dress is torn, exposing the short leggings and fishnet stockings. She is holding the clothes close to her chest with a serene expression. A pair of scissors is on the floor next to her.

Yoko Ono. Cut Piece, 1964. Photo: Minoru Niizuma, Courtesy of Lenono Photo Archive

Still of video titled ‘Kusama's Self-Obliteration’. Outdoor, Kusama in her thirties or forties wearing a long red robe is riding a seal brown horse. Her robe and on the horse’s body are covered with white polka dots.

Jud Yalkut and Yayoi Kusama. Kusama's Self-Obliteration, 1967. Single-channel 16mm film transferred to digital video, duration: 23 min. 29 sec. Collection of the artist. © YAYOI KUSAMA

Still of video titled ‘Meat Joy’. Close-up shot of a woman’s bottom wearing only a red bikini brief trimmed with black feathers. She is putting her hands on the hips, while holding a raw fish in each hand.

Carolee Schneemann. Meat Joy, 1964, re-edited 2010. Single-channel digital video (colour, sound), duration: 10 min. 33 sec. M+, Hong Kong. © Carolee Schneemann/EAI/ARS

Still of video titled ‘Body Collage’. Black-and-white shot of a room covered with transparent plastic films. In the room is a nude young woman whose face and body are only covered with white paper strips. She holds her arms wide open with a passionate expression.

Carolee Schneemann. Body Collage, 1967. Single-channel 16mm film transferred to digital video (B&W, silent), duration: 4 min. 12 sec. M+, Hong Kong. © Carolee Schneemann/EAI/ARS

Still of video titled ‘Rare Performance Documents by Nam June Paik and Charlotte Moorman. Against a colourful background is a young woman with long curly hair and blue eyes. Wearing a black vest, she is looking outside the frame with her head titled.

Charlotte Moorman and Nam June Paik. Rare Performance Documents, 1961–1994. Volume 1: Paik-Moorman Collaborations, 1965–1973, compiled 2000. Single-channel digital video (B&W, colour, sound), duration: 25 min. 8 sec. M+, Hong Kong. © Charlotte Moorman/EAI

Still of video titled ‘Opera Sextronique’. Black-and-white shot of a nude young woman with long curly hair holding a cello. Her left hand is pressing the strings, while her right hand is using a viola as the bow. Looking closely at the scores, she appears focused playing the instrument.

Jud Yalkut. Opera Sextronique, 1967. Single-channel 16mm film transferred to digital video (B&W, colour, silent), duration: 5 min. 10 sec. M+, Hong Kong. © Jud Yalkut/EAI

Still of video titled ‘Cut Piece’. Black-and-white shot of the young Yoko Ono sitting on the floor with her clothing torn. The straps are snipped, exposing her shoulders. The dress is torn, exposing the short leggings and fishnet stockings. She is holding the clothes close to her chest with a serene expression. A pair of scissors is on the floor next to her.

Yoko Ono. Cut Piece, 1964. Photo: Minoru Niizuma, Courtesy of Lenono Photo Archive

Image at top: Jud Yalkut, Yayoi Kusama. Kusama's Self-Obliteration, 1967. Single-channel 16mm film transferred to digital video, duration: 23 min. 29 sec. Collection of the artist. © YAYOI KUSAMA

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