Gazing

At "Gallery & Restaurant Butaiura," we are pleased to present a solo exhibition by Umi Ishihara, a filmmaker and artist based in London and Tokyo. The exhibition will feature an installation centered around Ishihara's new film "Thundergod" (2024), which was created during artist's time in MA Artist’s Film & Moving Image, Goldsmiths University of London. "Thundergod", produced by Oscar Nielsen and starring Aoi Yamada, was shot entirely in Kumamoto, Japan.

"Thundergod" is set in a fictional small mountain village in Japan, known for its frequent lightning strikes. In this village, a secret underground club exists where only those who have survived being struck by lightning are invited to perform as dancers. The village is also home to crabs that inhabit the natural surroundings, playing a crucial role in the narrative and shaping the villagers' fates. The characters, prompted by events as sudden and unpredictable as lightning strikes, find themselves exploring the conflict between humans and the animal world, as well as the coexistence with natural phenomena.

The exhibition and the film’s title, "Thundergod", not only refer to the literal booming of thunder but also serve as a metaphor for the sudden and shocking events that strike our everyday lives without warning or intent. These can range from positive transformative encounters with something new, to changes brought by uncontrollable forces like natural disasters, or even the ongoing violent conflicts unfolding around the world. Such disruptions could all be seen as forms of “thundergod” that shake our existence.

Through this work, "Thundergod" portrays the sharp moments where the dualities of chance and fate, nature and humanity, desire and danger intersect, evoking narratives of mythology, religion, resilience, and acceptance.

“Thundergod” is a film set in a fictional village isolated from the outside world by frequent lightning strikes. The story follows a woman who dreams of one day becoming a dancer in a secret underground club, where only those who have survived being struck by lightning can perform. As she wanders the village, torn between life and death, she struggles with her internal conflict. The villagers either fear being struck by lightning or believe that their fate will change if they are hit. Throughout the film, crabs: a local specialty of the village appear frequently, symbolizing both desire and danger. Shot in a cabaret and at the volcanic crater in Kumamoto, this film portrays the intersection of a fictional world and folklore, exploring themes of rebirth and acceptance.

Most people die when struck by lightning, but occasionally, there are those who miraculously survive. Among them, some are said to acquire mysterious abilities. It might be that in exchange for the indelible scars left by the terrifying shock of surviving a lightning strike, they gain the ability to notice things they never would have in their former selves.

In a society where people face unfair and arbitrary misfortune: economic, political, or physical it's impossible to say, "A horrible event that nearly killed me turned out to be a good thing in the end." Of course, it's better not to have scars at all. But perhaps there are things that only those with such scars can attain.

This film, using the unpredictable event of a lightning strike and the primal human desire to dance as its motifs, is a visual exploration of how people burdened with scars and pain seek ways to live together.

・Title: Gazing

・Production year: 2024

・Medium: Single channel video (2 min.) with a crab object, in a portable box specially made by the artist

・Edition: 5

・Signed on the Certificate of Authenticity

・Format：USB