Performance & Documentation
Materials: photography, sound, silver luncheon mat.
2.18 – 2.24, 2008, 13:00-14:30 daily, 7 locations in Tokyo, Japan
SOCIOLOGICAL LUNCH is a series of lunch sessions arranged as a performative urban research to investigate how the feelings of the people in Tokyo respond to the city’s environment. It was aimed to draw out a sensibility of the people’s reaction to the city. Seven acquaintances residing in Tokyo were carefully selected to create a balance to depict a psychological map of Tokyo. Every lunch was scheduled for 90 minutes and documented by audio recorder and video tape. 2-3 agents were secretly arranged to observe the guest’s performance by filling in forms and taking notes during the lunch. The guests were interviewed through mundane conversations. After the lunch was finished, each guest was portrayed on the street in front of the translucent photo studio temporarily set up outside. The result of the research developed into ABSENT CITY installation. Photography: Sebastian Mayer