I recently visited the world only Parasite Museum to find soon afterwards Kuronuma Mayumi, the artist who got inspired by the tapeworms displayed in the ultra-marine-colored background show cases. Here's an excerpt of an interview with the artist published in WHO series.
Roger McDonald: The first artwork that caught my attention was the tapeworms. I heard that she would go to the parasite museum to sketch, but what was interesting was that, she would not only draw from the skatches but also creat life-size knitted tapeworm. I asked Kuronuma san to exhibit her knitted tapeworms in the several projects [..] At Fukui Art Musuem it was displayed on the floor as one long line. Just like an actual tapeworm, the work keeps changing its form.
RM: Have you ever tried to put one inside you?
Kuronuma Mayumi: It's said that they are probably now extinct so you cannot get larva anymore [..].
Kuronuma Mayumi: It's said that they are probably now extinct so you cannot get larva anymore [..].
RM: Mayumi are there any artists that you particularly like?
KM: I like Kelly and Henry Darger.
KM: I like Kelly and Henry Darger.
RM: Kelly really makes interesting things. He is an artist fascinated by subculture, punkhorror and the occult. When we talk about Mike Kelly, the word 'abject' is often used.
I don't think you are an ousider like Darger, but you have this kind of haunting or obsessive quality [..].
I don't think you are an ousider like Darger, but you have this kind of haunting or obsessive quality [..].
