Ningen Restaurant
Chim↑Pom’s two-week-only restaurant “Ningen Restaurant” opens in Kabukicho!
INTRODUCTION
Following “Love is over,” Chim↑Pom Ellie’s wedding demonstration held on the streets of Shinjuku in 2014, and “Are you gonna come again tomorrow?,” her solo exhibition held in 2016 in conjunction with the demolition of the former Kabukicho Shopping District Promotion Association Building, Chim↑Pom’s third project set in Kabukicho will be held for two weeks only!
The Smappa! Group is chaired by Maki Tezuka, Ellie’s husband.
The building they rent in its entirety is commonly known as the Kabukicho Book Center Building. Located in the most disorderly part of Kabukicho, its first floor houses “Kabukicho Book Center,” a bookstore staffed by hosts, and a café.
This fall, following its acquisition by Shinjuku Soft — operator of Robot Restaurant and other venues — the building has been slated for demolition.
“Ningen Restaurant” will be held as the building’s final event.
While the restaurant, packed with ideas only Chim↑Pom could conceive, is in operation, cutting-edge artists will also stage performances and one-night events that make one keenly aware of human existence — primarily physical expression and unplugged pieces (excluding batteries and generators).
With permanent living-body displays and numerous live events, the event will transcend the restaurant format and take on the character of a festival.
Interior
By opening holes 2 to 3 meters wide in the roof (third-floor ceiling), the third-floor floor (second-floor ceiling), and the second-floor floor (first-floor ceiling), they create an indoor open-air restaurant with an atrium (open in rain, too!).
On the first floor, outside light streams in through those holes — a blue-sky restaurant by day, and a bar illuminated by Kabukicho neon light streaming in by night. Sounds fun!
Restaurant
Featuring items from “Last meal” — the actual publicly disclosed meals that death-row inmates could choose before execution — as well as the Buddhist statue “Inaoka Exhibition Koji” by Yasuyuki Nishio, modeled on Chim↑Pom’s Inaoka after he starved himself in pursuit of self-mummification, and a display by Hermann Nitsch, a living legend representing the 1960s Viennese Actionists, this restaurant is loaded with various Chim↑Pom devices.
Events
The events consist of the following content.
- A new performance by Yuka Seki — a performance artist who at just 21 has earned high acclaim in Japan’s young art scene — which will be a permanent installation throughout the run.
- Performances and live acts happening as “happenings” on all three floors.
- Themed one-night events. Approximately 4 to 10 in total are expected.
The program appears to change daily. Check the official website.
Scheduled Performance Artists and Exhibitors
Many artists are set to appear. Members currently confirmed are as follows, but more will be added.
BLACKSMOKER (KILLER-BONG, Fuyuki Yamakawa, Kairai Bunch) | jan and naomi | Yuka Seki | Tsubasa Kato (+ Shinji Wada + Jeremy Woolsy + Yukari Hirano) | Souryo Matsumura | Nobuaki Ito | Makoto Aida | Osamu Matsuda | Arata Mino | Aokid | Smappa!Group | Denki Groove [young unit] | Yasuyuki Nishio | Hermann Nitsch | Yumiko Shinozaki | contact Gonzo | MEGANE | Tomohito Wakui | and more!!!!!
Sounds like fun!
It’s Chim↑Pom, so we expect them to pull something guerrilla-style!)
Overview
Venue: 3 floors of the former Kabukicho Book Center Building (2-28-14 Kabukicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo)
Dates: October 14 – October 28, 2018
Reception: October 13, 2018 (by invitation)
Hours: 2:00 PM – 9:00 PM * Excluding one-night events
Organizers: Smappa! Group, Chim↑Pom studio
Curators: Hiroya Kotoh (Gedō no Susume), Tomohito Wakui, Chim↑Pom
Interior: Chim↑Pom × Kenta Nishimura
Artwork provided by: ANOMALY
In cooperation with: Mujin-to Production, Anomaly
