We would like to announce the inauguration of FAAB, the newest feminist art organization in Tokyo.
"Feminism? Isn't it dead?"
Well, no. In the past decade or two, we thought modernism is dead, history is dead, etc., but old habits die hard. While we thought ideologies weredead, Imperialism, colonialism, and militarism all made great comebacks.
The bad old patriarchal system is more alive than ever. They have become unapologetically ruthless. Faced with this harsh reality, we think feminism is still one of the few ideals we can hang on to in order not to be completely disillusioned by the state of the world today. We know there are many different versions of "feminism". Our version of feminism is made clear in the statement below. We would like to stress that our feminism is not to expand the rights of the "biological female".
"All we need is Action!"
FAAB is not a fraternity club. We are a brigade of artists who use our artistic expression as weapons. We don't have one "commander", instead, whoever plans a project is responsible for the completion of that project.
Our current projects are:
"ACTION IN SILENCE" exhibition in which documentation of world wide anti-war, anti-imperialism movement will be shown along with performances and installation.
"MINI QUEER SHOW" a preparatory exhibition for a big international queer show in the future.Whoever or whatever group which want to do something with us, participate in our events, support FAAB, be on our Mailing list, please get in touch with us.
e-mail (English OK) yoshimada@aol.com
(Japanese) http://www.egroups.co.jp/group/FAAB-net/
Ito, Tari
Lim, Desiree
Nishimura, Yumiko
Ono, Nonko
Shimada, Yoshiko
Takahashi, Fumiko
Yasuda, Kazuyo
(in alphabetical order)
FAAB Manifesto
FAAB questions the prevailing social and artistic value system.
What is valuable art and who can be artists?
Rather than making a pyramid shaped value system, can we make a horizontal system in which we all express ourselves equally and freely?
We think feminism is still one of the most useful and practical ideals to make this happen.
What we call feminism here is not a movement for increasing women's equality to men.
What we call feminism is for all, not only for the biological female.
We think that patriarchal system is pretty much responsible for the current awful world of violence and greed, but we are not a negative, "anti-male"movement at all. Rather, we seek for A better, equal system for all.
We will work with minority people, groups, individuals who are striving to make a change in the prevailing mainstream social system.
Our action is not confined in the so-called "cultural" activities.
Culture is closely connected to society, nation, world politics. We are not afraid to be political as well as artistic, at the same time.
Membership
Each member can participate in the mailing list.
Projects are planned and decided by the project committee, which now consists of the above members. Those who want to be in this committee must present his/her own project and act as the responsible person to realize the project.
< May, 2003.>
Correspondence:
e-mail: reflect@interlink.or.jp
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