For the very first time in IBASHO’s existence we will show video art: in Hooykaas’ exhibition, her video work ‘Haiku, the Art of the Present Moment’ (2007) plays a central role. The video revolves around haikus that the famous poet Matsuo Bashō during his travels and that were posthumously published in ‘The Narrow Road to the Deep North’.
Inspired by Bashō’s poetic themes, Hooykaas composed the work from video sequences she had recorded during her travels in Japan and elsewhere, arranging them into four sections corresponding to the seasons. Each season has three Bashō haikus that are recited in Japanese and subsequently appear in English on the screen. The improvised music, performed on the shakuhachi by the Dutch musician and composer Ab Baars, has been woven into the fabric of the video, which celebrates the journey of life and the cycle of the seasons.