Yatai Type, Prototype #2

Year

1994

Medium

Copper, brass, lead,
& rubber



Yatai Type #2

Exhibition:
Space Untitled
137 Green Street (SOHO)
New York, NY

This apparatus, commissioned by the Embassy without A Country, is designed to write borderlines or frontiers. Nevertheless, incapable of performing this operation, it spews out bails of protocol books instead, depositing them on its path. The ambassador, who's own manpower drives the apparatus, is aided by an entourage of advisors and protocol scribes that form a procession like performance for the installation of this piece. Reference is also made to the homeless business (see note on homeless) by way of the "Yatai," an ambulant vendor's charrete or cart, traditionally seen in Japan. Flags pivot back and forth in rhythm with the motions of the procession. The bellows like breathing machine, representing the link between what is human and what is machine breaths incessantly but perforations in its membranes make this effort senseless.

An apparatus that pretends to harvest or collect but instead spews bails of bundled protocol books, packaged and neatly placed in growing order. This apparatus also carries a flag resembling those carried by the Japanese Edo period soldiers in order to identify themselves in the battlefield. Inclusive are the ubiquitous breathing machine and the ladder. The apparatus rests on a lead platform etched with an outline of the earth.

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Borderline Writing Apparatus #1

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Book Strew #3