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| Toyoko Ito (T): I've heard that your work is the highlight of the exhibition. Could you briefly tell me about it? | ||||||||
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| T: It seems the work is part of your ongoing project, Happy Hour. Tell me about the project. | ||||||||
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T: This is the first time I have seen a sculpture that can be consumed in a gallery. What led you to use food for your art work? | ||||||||
| N: Before I started working with food, I made a series of work called Private Landscapes. For some reason, the landscapes in my work always ended up with a creamy smooth surface reminiscent of icing on a cake. That inspired me to use real food as the medium for my work. As a result, I sculpted a mountain using Tiramisu* and it became the first work in my current series. * Italian cheese cake/pudding | ||||||||
 Noriko Tanaka + Mika Funaki, Happy Hour Project in Rotterdam 2003, photo: courier © | ||||||||
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T: What does food mean to you? | ||||||||
| N: I'm tempted to say that the food is just another medium for artwork. But if the truth be told, it means more to me than that. On one hand, there are plenty of visually beautiful dishes where the various ingredients serve the function of a medium. But with culinary creations, the dish must taste good as well as just looking beautiful. Similarly with my edible sculptures, I feel the need to ensure that they taste good as well. | ||||||||
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T: You've used cakes a few times before. Why cakes? | ||||||||
| N: It may be a very subjective point of view but I feel that cakes are imbued with exoticism and nostalgia. This duality between the two opposites is what makes cakes alluring as a subject for my work. | ||||||||
| T: What kind of reactions have you received from the visitors? | ||||||||
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| T: It can be interpreted that you use your edible sculptures to interact with the audience. What would you say to such an interpretation? | ||||||||
| N: Interaction between the work and the audience is very important for me. Similarly, the relationship between the artist and the audience is also important. I like installations that balance the delicate relationships between the work, the audience and the artist. With this interaction in mind, I think my presence on-site while the food is being consumed allows me to explore the ways in which the gap between the work, the audience and the artist may be bridged. | ||||||||
| T: Your sculpture must look very different at the end of the event. How do you feel about seeing it consumed? | ||||||||
N: There's a sense of aesthetic beauty in the appearance of the work after it's been consumed. Although there's sadness at the fact that it's like the remains of a banquet, it also fills me with a sense of satisfaction. | ||||||||
 Noriko Tanaka + Mika Funaki, Happy Hour Project in Rotterdam 2003, photo: courier © | ||||||||
| T: What does artistic activity mean to you? | ||||||||
| N: To me, it is being in a state of constant progress even when things appear to be at a standstill. | ||||||||
| T: Tell me about the themes and the areas you are currently interested in. | ||||||||
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| T: Tell me about your future plans. | ||||||||
| N: In conjunction with "courier", I'm working on a project to take Happy Hour to Tokyo. In addition, I'm working as a chef at a south London cafe once a month where I also arrange events. It seems as though I'll be busy doing this food series for the foreseeable future. | ||||||||
| This
interview was translated from a Japanese interview with the help of Atsuhide Ito. Noriko Tanaka Born in Okayama, Japan in 1972 Tanaka graduated from Experimental Design course at the Nagoya University of Arts in 1995. In 1997, she received an MFA in sculpture from Slade School, University College London. After completion of an Associate Research course at the Chelsea College of Art and Design, she launched the art organisation "courier" in 2002. Her current projects include an interactive collaborative work with the group, using food as the medium and encouraging audience participation. She lives and works in London. For more information about her work, visit the web site below: courier-art.org Venue Aldwych Underground Station The Strand London WC2B Opening Hours Private View 30 January 2004, 18:00 - 20:00 Exhibition: Minus One 28 & 29 January 2004, 14:00 - 20:00 30 January 2004, 14:00 - 18:00 Admission: free Underground Party 31 January 2004, 19:30 - till late By invitation only, Admission charge: 10GBP All proceeds will go to WellChild to raise funds for sick children. For more information visit www.minusone.org.uk | ||||||||
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