CHICHIBU AVANT-GARDE

A film about Shin Sasakubo's childhood place Chichibu - home of Mt. Buko, known as the “mountain of the gods.” It is the most important mountain in the local folk religion and serves as the sacred site of the Chichibu Shrine. This sacred mountain is blasted, even today, by large corporations who harvest limestone with dynamite. This film, a project by the art collective Chichibu Avant-Garde, and depicts memories of the destruction of Mt. Buko as if through a somato (Japanese revolving lantern) or kaleidoscope.

武甲風葬 2016 - "Buko Fuso" aka Funeral in the Wind, 8mm. Filmed at Mount Bukō (武甲山, Bukō-san) in Chichibu, Saitama, Japan. The summit of Mt. Buko was blown up in 1980. Three years before I was born. Shin Sasakubo grew up listening to blasts of dynamite scar the slopes of Mount Buko and echo across his small town every day at half past noon. Ritual. The pyramid-shaped mountain is considered a sacred symbol in the Saitama Prefecture known as Chichibu.

With the core members Shin Sasakubo and Daisuke Aoki, as well as a revolving set of members depending on the contents of the work, the CHICHIBU AVANT-GARDE art collective engages in expressive activities such as music, film, art, photography, writing, and theater. Filmed in 8 mm film there is a distinctive color and texture, and a seemingly nostalgic impression from the land pattern of Chichibu that is the stage, but it has an unknown sense of apprehension. A variety of emotions and scenes come to light, such as a sense of frustration, relief or fear, some kind of madness, or warmth.

With the core members Shin Sasakubo and Daisuke Aoki, as well as a revolving set of members depending on the contents of the work, the CHICHIBU AVANT-GARDE art collective engages in expressive activities such as music, film, art, photography, writing, and theater. Filmed in 8 mm film there is a distinctive color and texture, and a seemingly nostalgic impression from the land pattern of Chichibu that is the stage, but it has an unknown sense of apprehension. A variety of emotions and scenes come to light, such as a sense of frustration, relief or fear, some kind of madness, or warmth.