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- Sachiko Saito
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- Natsuko Fukushima
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- RIDE Inc.
Kalipso Mahyu Interview
Caripso Mahew, who teaches the basics of photography at Lausanne University of Fine Arts (ECAL) and is also the coordinator of Under Your Smell. This project is a collaboration with the global brand "JEAN PAUL GAULTIER". How did you lead this project to success with the students? Interviews were conducted at GALLERY X BY PARCO.
――How did you feel when you saw the exhibition in Tokyo? Please tell us your impressions.
"Under Your Smell" was very challenging. The project started with the concept of Florence Tetier (Golchie Creative Director), Nichola Coulon of Novable Magazine, and Miro Kerrer, Dean of ECAL's Faculty of Photography. When we first held this exhibition in Paris, we thought about the structure according to the space at the headquarters of Jampol Gorchie. It was a very large space, so I decided to print the photos on a huge cloth and display them. That's why in Tokyo, the team was worried about how to express this exhibition in the limited space of "GALLERY X BY PARCO", but because of this size, I decided to fill it up with works. For example, I was glad to be able to add a work that covers the wall like a wallpaper with a printed cloth, and create a space where you can meet new works no matter where you look.
――Is there any difference in the exhibition in Tokyo compared to the exhibition in Paris, Basel, and Elise Museums? Shibuya PARCO has been the center of culture, fashion, and art in Japan for the past 50 years. What do you think of the significance of holding this exhibition in such a space within a commercial facility?
Of course, the gallery in the department store is rare, but Shibuya PARCO has a variety of fashion brands and is known as the center of culture, so it was natural to hold this exhibition in this space.
――This time, the students tried to visually express the "perfume", an area of scent that cannot be seen by sight. What kind of advice did the students have?
Certainly the fragrance of perfume is invisible. Under the direction of Florence Tetier and Nichola Coulomb, the students first focused on the Gorchie brand to capture the image and atmosphere of the brand. In addition, we thought about the materials and colors of perfume, and we all explored what it feels like to experience them using the five senses. In addition, Golchie is a brand that has a provocative concept, so I was inspired by the way it should be.
――How long did you actually spend and how did you create your work in order to realize this collaboration? Is there any explanation from the Golchie side?
First of all, I explained to the students that such a project would begin, and then started by doing research on their own and having them create a mood board. I didn't have any particular explanation from the brand side. Students will give a presentation on the mood board on how they felt about perfume and what kind of image they wanted to create, and consult with the teacher several times. The mood board is not an abstract content that conveys the atmosphere, but a specific detail. Write down what models to use, makeup, styling, and colors to be used in the image as detailed as possible. After that, the perfume bottle actually arrives and there is a one-week shooting period. It's called Workshop Week, and it's a very harsh week that keeps shooting constantly. It takes about two months from the beginning of the project to the end of the shooting.
――The explanation about this exhibition is "Hanka of a new definition of gender diversity and beauty." Why did you come to such a theme? The Gorchie perfume bottle itself is designed with a typical idealized male and female body motif, giving you a somewhat conservative gender feeling. However, the photographic works of the students have a fairly queer atmosphere. What kind of gender and beauty do you think students have?
I am 30 years old this year, and although there is a difference of about 10 years old from the students, I don't usually feel that much generation gap. However, through this project, I felt that the sense of gender is different from the student generation. If I had to create a work in this project, it might have been a little more conservative gender expression. That's why I was very surprised at the atmosphere of the works submitted by the students. The younger generation naturally breaks various stereotypes, and I think it's very nice. Now, with regard to gender and sexuality, various ways such as bisexual, sexual, and polyamory have been visualized, and everyone has different ideas both in love and at work, and choose freely as they like. It's a great thing.
It is also quite well recognized in the fashion industry that respects such diversity, for example, various body types, and gender and sexuality. I feel that this is gradually spreading to other industries recently. I used to improve my work with luxury watch brands, and that model was always a white man, with a very large wristwatch and a dignified pose. But in the future, I may be able to express more queer and free atmosphere in these areas. I think the customer also wants it. Nobody wants to see the same ads all the time. In advertising, I think it's most important to surprise people.
――Being able to collaborate with global brands while studying at university is a very blessed environment for students. Are these collaborations with companies included in the curriculum at the university regularly, not just in Golchie?
We collaborate with Golchie every year. Apart from that, there is a collaboration project once a year. There are various brands that collaborate. When I was a student, it was a project with BMW. There are various other things like French brands and shoe brands.
――For students, it is an educational and valuable initiative that will lead to work after graduation. What do you think will be required of educational institutions in the future to foster young creators?
After graduating from our school, I want to be ready through education so that I can play an active role in society. After entering society, students will work with various companies and brands. When working with a marketing team, their goal is to sell products, but they need to be creative while meeting those expectations. I tell students that creativity is the most important thing in any situation and that creativity will not be crushed in any situation. The other is right, isn't it? For example, how do you work as an artist and pay for it properly, or what will happen to copyright to what you create? I will teach you concrete practices on how to protect yourself as an artist in society. This is the most important thing.
――It's very important to build a career after graduation. Thank you very much.
Calypso Mahieu（ECAL）
A French photographer based in Switzerland. He is an artistic deputy at ECAL (Lausanne University of Fine Arts) and teaches the basics of applied photography in the bachelor's degree of photography. Born and raised in Paris and South France, moved to Lausanne, Switzerland in 2012 to study at ECAL. While at school, he received guidance from Paolo Rovelsi, Jurgen Teller, and Walter Fifer. While teaching, he has produced fashion editorials and campaigns for magazines and brands and has been active internationally. His work covers the relationship between the body, The Social Network, and post-humans. The photo is a very colorful tone inspired since the 1980s, and is created with humor with technopop aesthetics borrowed from Surrealism. Caripso Mahew likes to tell stories and anecdotes inspired by everyday life and the society surrounding her in a poetic, fictional and delicate manner through commissions and personal projects.
Jonas Plva Interview
Jonas Purva, who deals with communication, public diplomacy, and culture in general at the Swiss Embassy in Japan. In fact, the reason why this exhibition was held at GALLERY X BY PARCO was that we were able to realize the global creative weaved by ECAL, one of Europe's leading art universities, and Jeanpole Gorchie, which has been re-evaluated in Japan in recent years, at Shibuya PARCO. What kind of thoughts did you have in the background? I spoke to Pruva, who looks at Japanese culture.
――How was this exhibition?
I am personally happy and proud that I was able to contribute to the visualization of gender diversity and queer culture through this project. I also hope my Japanese friends will enjoy the wonderful talents of all the ECAL team.
――As an embassy, what do you expect from this initiative?
2024, the 160th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Switzerland and Japan, is an ideal anniversary for the start of cooperative relations. The friendship between the two countries, which began by Swiss watchmakers and watch merchants seeking to develop new markets, is rooted in business and pioneering spirit.
Today, we are working together to shape the future by addressing issues such as sustainability, health, and diversity.
Our public diplomacy program (public activities aimed at harmonization in the international community), "vitality.swiss" offers many opportunities to think together and imagine potential solutions to modern challenges. The Under Your Smell exhibition is the highlight of the vitality.swiss program in 2024.
――Why did you propose Shibuya PARCO to ECAL?
PARCO is a legendary cultural company in Shibuya, Tokyo, and Japan. Since the 1960s, it has contributed to the formation of the identity of millions of Japanese youth. Shibuya PARCO, which has always been at the forefront of social progress through fashion, art, and culture, is the best partner for holding this "under Your Smell" exhibition. This is the first time that the Swiss Embassy in Japan has collaborated with PARCO, and I am very proud to have the opportunity to interact with such a well-known and affinity cultural facility.
――Do you have any expectations for PARCO in international cultural exchange?
PARCO is a wonderful platform for cultural exchange, and we hope to continue dialogue on themes such as creativity, diversity, cultural innovation, and social change. Japan and Switzerland are similar in the sense that society looks a little conservative, but there are many innovations and creativity in the fields of design, architecture, photography, for example. I look forward to a further leap as a place for innovation and creation for the future!
Jonas Pulver (Switzerland Embassy in Japan)
Director of Public Relations and Culture, Embassy of Switzerland in Japan. After 10 years of experience in the journalism and media industry, he assumed his current position. In his previous job, as a reporter, columnist, and overseas correspondent for the daily newspaper Le Temps in Switzerland, he has reported in Japan, Korea, India, the United States of America, Mexico and Europe, as well as contributed to Swiss national radio, radio France, and courier. Since 2017, he has been involved in communication, public diplomacy, and culture at the Swiss Embassy in Japan. Degree in Global Studies from the University of Tokyo. He earned a master's degree from the West Swiss University of Applied Sciences and Arts and a professional qualification from the Lausanne Journalism Media Center.
