Tabaimo's Performance 'Fruits borne out of rust' Blends Animation and Dance in Collaborative Work

In collaboration with choreographer Maki Morishita, dancer Chiharu Mamiya, and composers Yusuke Awazu and Keisuke Tanaka, Tabaimo presented the performance 'Fruits borne out of rust,' featuring two live musicians. The piece showcases a whiteboard drawing that, when erased, reveals a projected silhouette, with human legs enhancing the illusion of completeness through dance and rhythmic sounds. The interplay between body and animation is tentative, as a garment serves as a screen for microbial imagery, while projections dance across a scrim dividing the stage. Mamiya delivers monologues about medical procedures, punctuated by fragmented movements and exclamations like 'Pineapples! I want pineapples!' before evolving into a fearful persona. The title implies that aging and decay can lead to positive transformations, illustrated by animated flowers blossoming from Mamiya's heart. The performance emphasizes the dancer's bare body as both a limitation and a medium for transformation, reflecting artistic expression born from suffering. Vignettes include a bedroom morphing into a cage with a sketched dove and an animated hand reaching toward the dancer. This work was first published online by New York-based artist and writer Tyler Coburn on ArtReview's website on 18 March 2020, during a time of public anxiety over an epidemic, noted as potentially the last performance before museums shut down.