Mika Tajima Wants to Hire Contortionists | "New York Close Up" | Art21

How do you activate a white cube gallery space? In this film, artist Mika Tajima works with two amateur contortionists to create a series of dance-like movements that respond to her sculptural installation of re-purposed vintage office cubicles and ergonomic chairs. The performance is the culmination of a long and delicate exchange between the artist and her multiple collaborators, with Mika proposing the idea to her gallery over the phone and months later directing the performers to improvise a series of a poses only hours before the event. Beginning with simple positions, the contortionists' bodies begin to take on striking shapes as music by Mika's music collective New Humans asserts a steady rhythm.

Mika Tajima (b. 1975, Los Angeles, California, USA) lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.

CREDITS | "New York Close Up" Created & Produced by: Wesley Miller & Nick Ravich. Editor: Mary Ann Toman. Cinematography: Jarred Alterman & Andrew David Watson. Key Grip: John Marton. Sound: Wesley Miller & Nick Ravich. Associate Producer: Ian Forster. Production Assistant: Paulina V. Ahlstrom, Don Edler & Maren Miller. Design: Open. Artwork: Mika Tajima. Music: New Humans. Thanks: Christopher Bousquet, Howie Chen & Tony Mitchell. An Art21 Workshop Production. © Art21, Inc. 2011. All rights reserved.

"New York Close Up" is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Additional support provided by The 1896 Studios & Stages.

For more info: http://www.art21.org/newyorkcloseup

[New York Close Up]

[WATER DRIPPING]

["Mika Tajima Wants To Hire Contortionists"]

[OMINOUS DRUM BEAT]

The volume is really good...

[OMINOUS DRUM BEAT]

Nice to meet you, thanks for coming.

I’m so excited.

Sorry I'm a few minutes late.

Come on in.

[Mika Tajima--Artist]

Uh, I thought we’d just try some abstract short clips of you doing some initial moves...

[Tony Mitchell--Contortionist]

And I think Christopher is going to get here at four.

We’ll just work...we’ll work just with you solo if that’s okay. Just do a couple moves and shapes and whatever.

Whatever you need.

[OMINOUS DRUM BEAT]

[Two Months Earlier]

[At Mika's Studio]

Yeah, yeah.

Well basically, you know how a lot of the themes in the show is like about how the body is being controlled by the environment or sort of different elements, modern elements.

[Mika is talking to her gallery]

So there’s like these ergonomic chairs that are going to be part of the installation.

So... that got me thinking about what you know the body can do and whatever and so I started thinking like oh, it would be really cool if there’s a...a salon where there was like a yoga person and a contortionist.

Sort of like doing sort of dance type thing, and I was looking online.

There are these different websites for like contortionists united, and people who are amateurs that just want to like showcase their flexibility.

I think that could be kind of a cool performance idea but I first wanted to run it by you guys and see if that’s a possibility.

Yeah, yeah.

Do you want to put your coat in here.

Should we try a little sort of dry run rehearsal thing?

Christopher Bousquet--Contortionist

See the rhythm of the two of you?

See what happens.

See what happens? Okay, cool.

[OMINOUS DRUM BEAT]

Yeah, when you see some of the poses, they really look like the chairs. You know the chairs I have?

So I like that they’ve become like almost like a sculptural element to the show.

So I think it’ll be cool, but you know like budget wise, is that something that seems feasible? Possible?

Come in, come in.

I like it.

Thank you!

I like it and I love the paper panels.

Thank you.

[OMINOUS DRUMMING]

[OMINOUS DRUMMING GROWING LOUDER]

[APPLAUSE]

That was ama...that was like a circus, that was amazing.

Close up and personal.

Where did you find them?

Contortionists United social networking site.

I mean I...I’m confident about installation and the work itself but just to insert one small gesture of like this performative element in the show I think is important.

So it’s...this is really simple like half hour performance, I think. So that’s the idea.

Mmm hmm, yeah. Yeah, cool.