MIHO SHIMIZU
EN / JPAdventures with kites
Chasing the Shadows
- Homage to Soeung Vannara (2024)
Eyes of the Sky (2022)
Screen (2020)
Do Puppets Dream of the Mekong Delta?
Do Puppets Dream of the Mekong Delta?, installation view, “Waiting Room” at Weird House, MAP 2022 organised by Heritage Space , 2022
Today, water puppetry is a popular tourist attraction in Hanoi. It originated in Northern Vietnam when villagers started to create puppetry as a form of leisure activity using available resources, and it dates back as far as the 11th Century. Since then, artisans have been creating puppets that reflect, that mimic the daily lives of villagers in a particular way, passing on values, and an aesthetic consistency.
Though at times difficult, water puppetry survived wars and hardships. The puppets continued to smile even when the social climate changed. Attempts to use it as a propaganda tool seem to have failed, I’m told, because the authority figures the puppets were supposed to idolise appeared comical with the way puppets moved, making them seem ridiculous. Puppetry must have been seen in a different light during the war, since what they performed related to the life they used to have – something they were missing at the time.
A smile during times of war may not be the same thing as a smile in happier times.
Having a rare opportunity to see backstage, I was thrilled by the innovative and creative approaches artisans have, and their sense of humour. The textile pieces are a form of response to this, where peaceful faces mirror the simplicities and complexities of reality and fiction while water reflects their gaze.
In parallel to this, I have been recording street sounds, incomprehensible voices and people telling their dreams about war. This is in a way an eclectic record of my stay in Hanoi, a reflection of feeling lost and in constant transition surrounded by noise and traffic.