Shirley Cho

Working with sensitivity and curiosity, Shirley created a delicate site-specific installation at the old school in Sochi, at the base of Shosanji temple (T12). 

With an acute perceptivity she absorbed the landscape of Kamiyama, discovering new possibilites and techniques that she could use in her work.        

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If you could do the residency again would you do anything differently?
Hmm.. Erm.. I mean I would love to do the residency again.. Probably not. I wish I could say that I'd do it a whole lot better, but you just never know. It's just something you jump into, and I think the first weeks were quite intense: getting to know the community, going to different studios and doing workshops which was really fun, and then finally, slowly, spending more time in the studio. I tend to be a bit slow to start anyway, so.. no. 
I couldn't say that I would start working the very moment I arrive.. probably not!!  So I think that that time, arriving, adjusting, and getting a feel of the place is quite important so I think my pace of making things probably wouldn't change. Maybe, maybe.. I'm not sure I want to say I would have tried less things..! Because I feel like I tried a lot of things – because I wanted to, and I wouldn't change that because I guess, that's the point of a residency: to explore different options and then take back those things that you learned and experienced and bring them back to your own studio in your own country, and continue to develop the work. So no, I don't think I would change anything, yeah.

Any advice for future KAIR artists?
Erm.. I think I would definitely say, keep an open mind about everything, I think. By that I mean, not just the art making but also, like, connecting with people, getting to know Kamiyama. I think just, keep all your options open. It can sometimes be overwhelming because there are a lot of options! But, I think, yeah, just be quite free in what your do. Like, let go of the things you are used to doing – back in your own studio – and also how you were doing it, and maybe just leave it open to 'what could happen?' or 'what could develop here'.

What's missing from Kamiyama town? (What does Kamiyama town need?)
A wine bar! No, I don't think that there is anything particularly missing. I can be honest, I didn't miss anything, like, from my normal city life. A little wine bar would be nice!

What is the best smell?
From Kamiyama? Oh wow, that's a big call! Hmm… that's a hard one. I was trying to think of something more directly related to Kamiyama but, I have to say, a very strong memory of a smell that I have, is the smell of my uncle's 1980's Datsun, green, cool car. It had this sort of vintage but old and cosy smell. Does that sound a bit strange?! It's not like an old car smell, but it's just this.. It's hard to describe. It's definitely different to the smell of new cars. Yeah, there was just this very.. familiar, nostalgic smell that always gives me a good feeling if I smell something kinda close to it.. yeah, which is a bit strange!

Tell us a memory from your time in Kamiyama.
Oh too many memories.. Oh, yeah, I think a really nice surprise for me – besides all the main wonderful experiences I had – I think when I discovered that this dainty little blue flower could produce ink that I could use for my work. And it was just something so small and unexpected and that just happened by chance because I had dried it between two pieces of paper. I think that was kind of..maybe like the.. like it explained this experience I had in Kamiyama, just the little observations, discoveries and taking those inwards and turning that into something. Yeah.. that would be a special memory.

If you could collaborate with another artist (alive or dead), who would you choose and why?
Oh wow.. that's a hard question. Hmm.. I can't put a name to anyone at the moment but I would actually love to work with someone who's working with, I guess, like film. Scenes. Making video work. It's something that I haven't done much of and haven't much experience. That's something that I would like to do, maybe. Explore moving, video work, yeah.

What do you think about this ham?
It would be great if that was like the stump of a tree! Wow, yeah, like the stump of a tree, yeah that would be cool! Where is it from? Italy? It also kind reminds me of when I was living in Tokyo and there was this craze over the newest baby pandas. There were literally lines of people outside Ueno Zoo and then there was this bakery at the station which was selling everything panda related, so, bread with like panda stamps on it. And there was this loaf of bread that when you cut it there was the face of a panda! And people would literally line up for this bread! I could totally see this going off in Japan!

What is the worst thing you've ever made?
I think I know what I made.. I made – when I was studying jewellery and object design. I think it was my second project.. in my first foundation year. And I think it had to be based on some kind of architecture thing, and I made this strange, like, I guess it was a hairpiece based on the structure of a bridge! I never got to realise it properly, I could only make a mock-up. I was bending steel and I was trying this for the first time and I was so disappointed in my myself that I couldn't really realise it as a final piece, and that it was just a mock-up. And, I think I got rid of it pretty soon! I think I still have a drawing of it…oh God.

If you had more time here in Kamiyama, how would you spend it?
I would just take a bike, cycle around, go for walks, hang out with the wonderful people here, yeah.. just enjoy Kamiyama!

What's next?
First, directly, I will go home to my family in Sydney and then.. after a month with them I will return to Germany. I have a few projects coming up which really need some attention. It's good to be returning to Germany with lot's of inspiration and motivation to continue what I started here, back in the studio.

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Thank you very much for your hard work and time!
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