Fighting Alone by Jun Shibata

Fighting Alone by Jun Shibata (June 11, 2003) at DUMBO, Brooklyn, New York

In this performance, Jun Shibata fights against the void by himself. He wears a mask and protective armour like a Mexican wrestler.

This performance took place just under the Brooklyn Bridge. Accordingly, the background of the performer included the beautiful skyscrapers of Manhattan. There is a significant asymmetry between this simple performer and the complex skyscrapers, without World Trade Center.

At a glance, Shibata's work seems kitsch and devoid of meaning. However, there is significance in this insignificant action.

His work asks us to ponder what fighting is and what the void is. Something visible seems almost all fake in this real world with hyper-inflated information. Actually, the crisis of a highly capitalized society is something invisible. These invisible things are everywhere, such as what you wear, what you eat, and what you hear and see. In this world, we are blind even to what we see. However, God lives in this invisible space. Especially we are still blind towards the asymmetrical situation of the world. Also we do not aware that this asymmetrical situation causes terrorism, as a result of violence which caused asynmetrical situation between the countries.

Furthermore, the end of his performance represents the death of the performer. It seems as if he relinquished fighting. This attitude to relinquish fighting is comparable to the "White Chess" by Yoko Ono and the lyrics of the Smiths.

The 20th century experienced pop and kitsch culture with roaring economy, and after these cultures, simulacre is going further. His fight and death under the Brooklyn Bridge show the transition of the crisis of post-modern society in the 21st century.