Blond Ambition Photographs of installation by Bernd Lauber, Installation at Galerie Lacen, May 2008
Flag print 80 x 140 cm edition of 3
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This work was mainly filmed on Maui, Hawaii. Interviewing people who are "Japanese" in their origins. What is the relationship we share to Japan?
The title “Blond Ambition” comes from my experience in Japan during the late 90's. Couple of years after the economic bubble had popped, it was hip to get jobs at newly opened western company branches. During this time, I was surprised to see in Tokyo subways that many people of all ages had dyed their hair other than black.I saw that this period was an important social transition in Japanese society.
The flag was made with extract phrases from the video.I thought of making the Japanese flag with the phrases from video because the flag symbolize the questions of racial consciousness and national identity as well as question on relationship between an individual and a nation.
How can an individual express themselves and deal within the history and nationality that one did not choose but was born into ?
By physically writing the words on a red circle, I attempt to creates a relationship between real voices of people and a nation.I wanted to bring the personal visions onto anonymous flag, to confront these two elements. This act is an attempt to ask the public “Is a flag something that truly symbolize you?”