What's "Self Select in Nairobi" ?

①Background

Self Select project was started in Paris (France), 2007, by Japanese contemporary artist, Yoshinari NISHIO, whose works have consistently related to communication through behaviour of dressing themselves.
His first visit to Paris opened his eyes to the intermingled various types of people dressed in different cultures and personalities. It is natural there to communicate each other through same language. Rather than clothing, the change of language seemed to be easier for the Parisian. For the peculiar costume to a certain group plays an important role as a criterion to distinguish “us” from “them”.
His interest in communication among people dressed differently in the city was evolved to his original performance of exchanging costumes with one another, communicating their own culture and personality through costumes, and realizing the potential to bridge the gap between people. Afterwards he came to think this project as his lifework and decided to conduct it in the next city, Nairobi.


②Objectives

・To research on the behaviour of dressing themselves by people in Nairobi
・To research on the situation of artistic activities, especially contemporary art, in Kenya
・To collaborate with Kenyan people who are interested in the arts, in course of producing exposition


③Methods

1. The artist conducts his performance of exchanging clothes with pedestrians at streets in Nairobi.
2. Japanese and Kenyan staffs shoot his performance by some cameras.
3. Staffs have some interview with pedestrians who exchanged clothes on their story of clothes.
4. All pedestrians who exchanged clothes with the artist are assembled at the exposition which takes a place at the last day. The exposition is composed of movies, photos, sounds and so on.


④Details

・Project terms : 12 to 19, March, 2009
・Date of exposition : 19, March, 2009
・Project areas : Nairobi
・Project staff : 4 Japanese and 4 Kenyan
・Contacts in Kenya : +254-728-387346 (coordinator: Sakiko SONE)