Have you changed your name? Then you may know how significant your name can be. Choosing your own name is a powerful self-expression act that communicates your identity to the outside world.
Saisei (再生) is a project to reflect on your naming experience, especially the one at your gender transition. When did you find your name? Why did you choose this name? What did you expect from it, and how do you experience it now?
Saisei generates sounds and images from your name. During the session, we exchange our naming experiences in a safe space. The immersive sound and images create a room for reflection. You can also communicate with Saisei with your voice and appearance – I‘m going to prepare many voice effects.
Let’s have fun.
by Mai Ishijima (they/no pronoun) and the participants
If you have changed your name or plan to do so, register yourself for a session through the registration form.
(Or talk to me per email: saisei.vol.2@gmail.com)
DURATION OF THE SESSOIN:
About 3–4 hours with breaks. Spontaneous breaks are possible. The session can be planned a long time ahead.
LANGUAGE:
Spoken English, Japanese, written German. Slow understanding is no problem. For video or audio recordings: Any language is possible.
SIGN LANGUAGE:
A interpreter is available by arrangement.
PSBL. BARRIERS:
As part of a session, you are asked to type your name into a computer program to generate sound. If you want, you can add your voice to it and appear in the video. No change of location. Participation with so called learning disabilities is possible. Human and animal companions as well as children are welcome.
The venue can be chosen according to your needs.
CONTENT NOTE:
Saisei wants to provide a safer space for exchange. Forms of (structural) violence can be addressed, if you want it and it is important to your naming experience.
HYGIENE:
Mask is obligatory. By mutual agreement, the sessions or part of the sessions can be without mask and with a test.
Mai Ishijima and the participants
Curated via the Open Call.
Coproduced by IMPLANTIEREN 2022/23.
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Mai Ishijima
Mai Ishijima is a cross-media artist as well as a professional researcher.
Based in Tokyo, they worked on the amendment of Jp transgender law and family formation of trans* people for 7 years. After moving to Mainz, they started working on participative art to explore non-verbal senses and communications while continuing their research. At the same time, they have been active in music performance as a part of the unit Tangram Sam in Tsukuba since 2013.
Their artwork focuses on people’s experiences, especially those not (yet) communicated verbally. They attempt to offer an immersive space to reflect on those experiences by using images, sounds, room, and textures. They give those experiences friendly, attentive, and empathetic perceivability.
