In this episode, Stephen Barber, writer and cultural researcher,
shares his profound experiences with Butoh and the Japanese
experimental art scene.
The dialogue between Romina Achatz and Stephen Barber weaves
between history, memory, and artistic practice, offering rare
insights into archival discoveries, the contemporary preservation
of Butoh, and its living legacy today.
An expert on Antonin Artaud, Stephen explores Artaud’s and
Genet’s influence on the Japanese avant-garde and Butoh in the
1950s and 1960s and 80s. He reflects on the legendary
Asbestos-kan studio, a meeting point for artists and writers
including Yukio Mishima, and discusses Hijikata’s collaborations
with filmmakers such as Donald Richie and Eikoh Hosoe, as well as
dancers Yoshito and Kazuo Ohno. Iconic works like the photobook
Kamaitachi and the film Naval and A-Bomb, (Heso to genbaku), a
short film directed by Eikoh Hosoe and Tatsumi Hijikat are
explored, alongside insights into Hijikata’s involvement in
erotic and horror films and his experimental approach to
performance.
The show also weaves in personal stories and encounters,
including Stephen’s experience with Akiko Motofuji, who asked him
to sit in utter darkness through the night to await an encounter
with the spirit of Hijikata. Romina and Stephen reflect on their
personal sensory experiences in Tokyo, late-night walks through
the city, and encounters with the avant-garde performance scene.
They also discuss Hijikata’s cinematic involvement, his
performance at the Osaka Expo, and the philosophical resonance of
Antonin Artaud within Butoh, revealing the rich texture of
Japan’s cultural world.
Romina briefly shares how her early exploration of Japan through
her Super 8 and Leica cameras shaped her perception of the
landscape and cultivated an observational “eye” that later became
a bridge to film dancers such as Murobushi and others. She also
recounts filming at the harbour in Le Havre, France, and
discusses her ongoing research and her upcoming book.
FEMPOEM is a radio space for literature, art, and politics — and
in this nearly three-hour conversation, which was cut down to
almost 1,5 h, the dialogue itself becomes a living archive: a
testimony to the power of art, memory, imagination and even the
ghostly presence of the past.
It offers insights into archival discoveries, the contemporary
preservation of Butoh, and its ongoing influence today.
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